Mess is Mine
by Ribbonsandroses42
Summary: Haruhi Fujioka is attending Ouran Highschool. Unlike other students she has no money or connections. Her home life isn't perfect either. Her father does whatever he can to take care of her, but not everything goes as planned. She feels like an outcast at school, but then she meets the Host Club. They shoulder her burdens and in turn she shows them love.
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing from Ouran Highschool Host Club.

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The song Mess is Mine by Vance Joy inspired me to write this story about one of my favorite animes. It wasn't really the lyrics, more the title. You'll see. Ive adapted it some and changed a few things, but that's what I'm supposed to do. Enjoy!

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Ch.1

The soft buzz of the alarm clock next to the bed woke Haruhi from her dreamless sleep. Bright sunlight shone through the window and blanketed everything in warm light. The clock read 7:00 a.m. Today was the first day of school. Haruhi got out of bed and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face, but not before passing her father's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar and clothes littered the floor. It also smelled strongly of beer. She could see her father "Ranka" bare from the waist up and under the covers from the waist down, fast asleep. A man she had never seen before lay asleep next to him, completely naked, and thank god, turned away from the door. Haruhi shivered. If her mom had known what her dad had to do now for "extra money" she would be heartbroken. It deeply saddened Haruhi.

She finished getting clean and got dressed. Though she couldn't afford a school uniform, the chairman, Mr. Suoh, had given her one of last year's extra dresses as a gift. It was a sickening shade of yellow and a little itchy, but it served its purpose. Her hair was halfway down her back and a little messy today. Never caring much for appearances, she just pulled it back into a ponytail. Because of the absurd haircut her dad had given her in the past, she was stuck with bangs. That was the only thing she couldn't change right now. Quickly grabbing her bag and slipping on her shoes, she left the house before her dad could wake up and scold her about not curling her hair or putting on makeup. Unlike most girls, she didn't care about her appearance. Last, she put a necklace on. On it, hung a ring of her mother's. She never went anywhere without it. She left the apartment and hopped on her bike,awkwardly because of the dress, and petaled to school. She would be attending Ouran High School, the playground for the most rich, beautiful, and influential. Haruhi knew she was none of those. She had only gotten in because of an academic, all expenses paid, scholarship.

She was the only person riding a bike. All the other students arrived in expensive cars, limos, or strangely, carriages. The only bike racks were near the entrance were old and rusted, but that was the only place she had to leave her bike. In homeroom, she ended up sitting in the middle of the class because of her last name, Fujioka. She couldn't look out the window or fall asleep. The assignments already given were extremely easy, given how smart she was. She was done with them before time was up, so the teacher called her to her desk.

"Ms. Fujioka, Haruhi is it?"

"Yes m'am."

"You are the new scholarship student right?"

She turned a little red," Yes m'am."

"You will have a free period after lunch. Considering that you have already finished today's assignments I want you to go to music room 3 during that time." She winked.

"But, I don't play an instrument. I have no reason to go to the music room for free period."

"Trust me you will enjoy it. Now return to your seat please and wait for the bell."

Haruhi returned to her seat and waited like she was told.

The rest of the classes moved surprisingly fast. It was suddenly time for lunch. Checking her bag, she realized that she had forgotten her lunch. She would just have to buy something in the cafeteria. Once in line, she saw that there was a lot of expensive looking desserts and foods. Checking the prices, the only thing she could afford was a cup of pudding. Hungrily she scarfed it down, alone at a table near the door. She hadn't even eaten breakfast. Suddenly she heard someone yelling her name.

"HARUHI! YOO-HOO HONEY! IT'S DADDY!"

Her father stood in the doorway waving her bento in the air. He was the most beautiful man she had ever know and he even rivaled women sometimes. By now, the whole lunch room was silent and staring at her and him. She got up and ran toward him, pushing them both out the room.

"What are you doing here!"

"I was bringing you lunch. You didn't wake me up this morning to make it for you. I knew you would need it."

"Well I don't need it! I already bought something!"

He looked hurt," I'm sorry sweety. I just... I'm sorry about..."

"I know dad," she hugged him," I hate it too. You should go home and get so rest. I'l eat my lunch. All I could buy was pudding here."

He nodded and kissed her on the cheek," I'l see you in the morning or late tonight."

He left and Haruhi ate her lunch in the hallway, afraid to go back in the cafeteria. After lunch, like the teacher said, Haruhi went in search of Music Room 3. It was up a set of lavishly decorated red stairs and down a hallway hung with chandeliers. Soft chatter and classical music and the sound of clinking silverware could be heard coming through the door. A guy's cheerful laughter carried and a few girls laughed too. Maybe, this wasn't so bad. Haruhi pulled open the door and stepped into the room. The scent of roses wafted into her face and made her dizzy. Suddenly the music stopped and so did the talking and laughing. All eyes were on her. The few gentlemen that were in the room were dressed in victorian outfits and tailcoats. All the ladies around them were extremely beautiful and their hair and makeup were expertly done. They frowned at her. Haruhi could tell that they were dripping in money. Everyone gawked at her as if she were the strangest, ugliest thing they had ever seen. Maybe she was to them. She wasn't rich or pretty. Her clothes were old and used and her bag was covered in marks and scratches. She was poor and the only student here on scholarship. Why would her teacher send her to a room, a party like this, and expect people to like her? With angry tears she whispered an apology and bolted from the room. She didn't even realize that she had just lost her ring or the solid "Wait" that a blonde haired boy had called after her. Haruhi spent her free time in the rose garden alone. She finished the school day and went home on her old creaky bike before any other students could see her. Today had been too embarrassing.

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Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own anything from Ouran Highschool Host Club.

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Ch.2

Haruhi spent the rest of the afternoon preparing dinner. When it was ready, she set two places. One for herself and her dad. Ranka worked at a local cross-dressing bar. He didn't come home late unless he had extra hours or a... Person with him. She then started studying. Having brains was no easy feat and they already had a test coming Friday. The clock in the small room ticked away and the sun went down. Her dad would be coming home soon. She put away her things and waited... And waited... And waited. He was a no show. This happened sometimes and Haruhi would just have to do what she usually did sometimes, eat alone, clean up, and go to bed.

Just when Haruhi was putting the last of the food away, there was the sound of a key turning in the door. Great! They might be able to eat together after all. Ranka stumbled through the door with a brunette in tow, them both smelling like alcohol. She looked about Haruhi's age, but she could tell that she was a lot older because of the curves. They didn't even see Haruhi in the dark kitchen. Right in front of her, they began making out. Haruhi scoffed and turned on the lights. Both turned around and looked at her, bewildered.

"You didn't tell me you had a kid!" The girl yelled.

She smacked Ranka hard across the face,"You're not getting shit," and stormed out the door.

Ranka sighed and glared at Haruhi.

"What have I told you! This is none of your business!" He crossed over to her and shook her shoulders hard. His fingers left bruises, "None of your business!"

"Stop dad! You're hurting me!"

Ranka let go, finally realizing what he was doing. Haruhi knew he was sorry. She could see it in his eyes. Not giving him a chance to speak, she ran from the kitchen and locked herself in her room. It had been another of _those _nights.

* * *

Haruhi didn't sleep well that night. When the alarm woke her up, she nearly broke it. Like the day before, she got dressed. Her dad was alseep in his room, thank god, alone. Today she remembered to pack a lunch before heading to school. She didn't want to see her dad today. Haruhi knew they both needed time apart after last night. Ranka would drown in his own guilt and Haruhi would feel bad for making him angry, which only made him feel more guilty, and her apologize more. It was a never ending circle. She was drowsy through most of her classes. Her shoulders ached so bad that she couldn't raise her arms or put her bag on. During her free period she went to the rose garden again. She would never go back to music room 3. In the garden she had found a secluded little gazebo covered in ivy. It was lined with cushioned benches and overlooked a pond covered in waterlilys. It was quiet here and all you could hear were birds. A butterfly perched on the end of her finger.

I bet you love it here little guy. Rich people have everything. It's only the second day and I'm already an outcast. At least I can talk to you.

"You could talk to me."

She jumped and the butterfly flew away. I tall blonde haired boy blocked the entrance and exit of the gazebo. It only took a second for her to realize that this was one of the guys from the music room yesterday. She instantly hated him.

"What do you want?"

"I just want to give you something and meet you."

"I don't want anything from you. Just because I'm poor doesn't make me a charity case!"

"I'm sorry I offended you. I just wanted to return this neckalce I found. I was positive that it was yours. The clasp was broken so I had it fixed."

Haruhi touched her bare throat but immediately pulled her hand away. This stranger wouldn't know how much it affected her. He placed it in her hand.

"What do you mean about being poor? Surely a beauty like you is an eris to some major company or princess of a small country?"

"No. Actually, I'm in the lower middle class. I live in a small apartment with my dad and only go here on a scholarship." Why was she spilling her secrets to him. There was just something in his eyes.

"Why are you even talking to me. After yesterday..."

"Yesterday? Yesterday! You were the girl from the club room that made the earth stand still."

"I thought everyone hated my guts. I'm not pretty or rich."

"Love, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. We were marveling at you. If anyone was frowning, they were jealous."

She blushed," Thanks...I have to go."

"Come to the Host Club tomorrow. Same place, same time. There will only be us Hosts tomorrow and I know the others will love to meet you."

"I never got your name."

"It's Tamaki Suoh, but you can call me Tamaki."

"That's kind of informal."

"It's okay. We can be informal. I feel like I've know everything about you and have known you forever."

He knew nothing about her.

"I'm Haruhi Fujioka."

"It was nice to meet you Haruhi."

"Just call me Fujioka for now," she gave a huge smile that took his breath away and became imprinted on his mind.

"I will never forget that smile Haruhi. It's gorgeous."

Haruhi turned, walking away.

A thought crossed his mind. She hadn't given an answer to wether she would go to the Host Club. Tamaki hurried to her and gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze," Are you..."

She cried out and slapped his hand away. He had seen the huge bruise that marred her skin. She saw her own pain reflected in his eyes. Terrible silence filled the air. Not knowing what to do Haruhi clutched her necklace to her chest and ran. It was only the second day of school.

* * *

Tamaki sat in the club room after school, lounging on a couch, his arm thrown over his face. His tea had gone cold, not that he had any intention of drinking it.

"What is the matter Tamaki? You're not usually this quiet." Kyoya questioned.

"I'm just thinking about this girl from earlier."

"Oh, a girl? Was she pretty?"

"She was the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."

Tamaki thought," Even when she shouldn't have been smiling, she smiled."

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Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own anything from Ouran Highschool Host Club.

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Ch.3

A week went by and Haruhi never went to the host club like Tamaki had asked or the next week. He waited outside everyday for her and checked the rose garden too. She wasn't there either. He became so desperate that he went to her classes after they were over to look for her. She was never there. He finally talked to her first period teacher.

"Excuse me. I'm Tamaki Suoh. I am looking for my friend Haruhi Fujioka. Has she been in class this week?"

"I know who you are and no, has not been in class this week. There was something about a family emergency. She took all of this week's assignments home if that's what you were going to ask about."

"Uh...yes m'am. Thank you."

She hadn't been in school! A family emergency! Maybe that was just a ruse. Maybe someone had hurt her again! He had to find her!

Tamaki contemplated going to the club room and asking the other members to help him locate Haruhi, but they didn't know her. She would find this an invasion of whatever personal connection they had. He had to find her on his own. He went to the office to get her address. It wasn't hard. He just had to turn on the charm. By the time he was done, the lady was practically throwing files at him. The place Haruhi lived was somewhere he had never heard of and there were letters after the numbers. He had never seen that before. He couldn't decipher it so he had no choice but to talk to Kyoya. Tamaki made his way to the club room after lunch to find his friend. The only people in music room 3 were Kyoya, Mori, Honey, and the twins. They were sitting around a table sipping tea and eating cake. Tamaki ran up behind Kyoya and whispered in his ear.

"I need to talk to you."

Kyoya cleared his throat and pushed up his glasses," I was wondering when you would tell me something was wrong. You have been moping for almost two weeks."

He pushed back his chair and stood. By now, the whole club was watching them.

"What's up Tamaki?" Honey asked.

"Nothing Honey. I just need to talk to Kyoya for a second."

Kyoya followed Tamaki into the hallway and closed the door behind them.

"What is it Tamaki? This must be something serious if you're not sharing it with the club."

He handed the file to Kyoya," It's about a girl. I need to know where she lives. I don't understand the address."

Kyoya stood open mouth, staring at Tamaki. He then composed himself and pushed up his glasses again, before opening the file," This is a new low for you Tamaki. Usually when someone likes a girl they just tell her instead of stalking her."

"That's not what I mean!"

"You said you didn't understand the address?"

"Yea. There are letters after the numbers."

"She lives in an apartment. Its on the South side of town, not a very nice place. Why would you...Isn't this the girl who came to the club room last week and just left? She's really pretty."

Tamaki took the folder from him and walked away, leaving their conversation hanging in the air.

* * *

After school Tamaki asked his driver to take him to the address on the file. At first, he refused, insisting that Tamaki's father wouldn't want him in that part of town, but Tamaki over-ruled him. It didn't take long to get there from Ouran. The expensive car parked across the street and Tamaki got out. Haruhi lived on the top floor. He hurried through the gate and up the stairs. Not sure what to do, he knocked. It took a few seconds but someone finally opened the door... And immediately slammed it in his face. He knocked again.

"Haruhi. Its Tamaki. I'm here to check on you."

"Go Away!"

"I need to make sure you're okay. You haven't been in school."

"Go Away!"

"I... Need to make sure someone's not hurting you!"

The door cracked open and he could see her big brown eyes.

"Hurting me?"

"I saw the bruises and have been thinking about you ever since. It scared me when you didn't come to Club Room. I thought something terrible had happened to you!" He choked on the last word and hung his head.

"Don't cry over me Tamaki."

The door opened all the way. Haruhi wore a t-shirt and a pair of jean shorts. For, once her hair was down.

"Come in."

All of the shades were closed and curtains drawn. Soup was boiling on the stove. Smooth jazz was playing from a radio in the corner of the family room. Tamaki, never being in this kind of setting, took it all in. He kicked off his shoes and began walking down the hallway.

"Where are you going? I said you could come in, not explore."

She followed him to make sure he wouldn't break anything.

"How big is this place. I only see five rooms and even those are kind of small."

It's an apartment. It's supposed to be small."

He found her bedroom and ran inside, touching everything. He picked up her pictures and began looking through them. The one he lingered on was of her and her mom when she was little.

"You look just like this lady. Is she your mom? Where is she?"

Awkward silence followed.

"She's gone."

"When will she be back? I want to meet her."

"She won't. She's gone forever."

Tamaki finally looked into her eyes. He hadn't realized that he was intruding until now.

"I'm so sorry Haruhi. I didn't realize... I'l just go. Clearly you're okay without me bothering you."

She grabbed his shirt but quickly let go,"Don't go. Have a seat. I'm actually glad you're here."

Tamaki sat on her bed and she sat next to him," You never told me why you didn't come to school."

"My dad is sick. He's in his room asleep right now. There's no one to take care of him but me."

"..."

"Oh. How did you get the bruises?"

"..."

"That's something I don't want to talk about right now."

"Ok. I'm sorry."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Just sitting side by side and staring at nothing in particular.

"You have a nice ro..."

Haruhi leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Tamaki didn't resist. Suddenly, the door opened and Ranka walked in. He was wearing a plain t-shirt and black jeans and his hair was in a ponytail.

"Haruhi, the soup..."

The two split apart, Haruhi turned red and looked away.

"WHO IS HE!? WHAT IS HE DOING IN YOUR BED HARUHI!? WHY ARE YOU KISSING HIM?!"

He grabbed Tamaki by the collar," WHO THE HELL ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WITH MY DAUGHTER!? YOU THINK JUST BECAUSE I'M ASLEEP, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH MY HARUHI!?"

"I... That's... What?"

There was a loud commotion in the hallway. Unbelievably, all of the host club was standing in the doorway behind Ranka.

Ranka still holding onto Tamaki turned around," AND WHO ARE... HARUHI!

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Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

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Ch.4

Haruhi, Ranka, and the Host Club members sat around the small table in the family room. There was no jazz from the radio. The room was dim. Ranka looked extremely green and had dark circles around his eyes, but that only made him more menacing. As he scanned everyone's faces only Haruhi would meet his gaze.

"Explain to me one more time who these guys are Haruhi."

"They are the members of our school's Host Club. Tamaki was just coming to check on me today."

"If that's what you call sucking face nowadays..."

Tamaki interrupted,"Sir, with all due respect..."

"I didn't ask you to speak blondie... So what is it? A club where you guys perv on young women?"

Kyoya broke in next," Mr. Fujioka, my friend here was only worried about the well being of your daughter. Are you aware that she had bruises the size of adult handprints on her shoulders?" He was looking at the spot where they peeked out from under her collar.

Ranka stiffened and glanced at the bruises before staring back at Kyoya

"Get out of my house. Now! ALL OF YA. OUT. NOW!"

The guys got up and hurried to the door only pausing to look at Haruhi. They didn't even waste time to put shoes on. They just grabbed them and left.

"I don't want you to see them or talk to them again. I don't like what they stand for. I'm going to bed," He stood up and began going to his room," Eat something before you go to sleep. You're already skinny enough as it is."

As he went into his room and closed the door, Haruhi put her arms on the table and buried her face. Tears slid down her cheeks and wet her skin,"I love you too, dad."

Why did they have to come here?

* * *

The guys stood arguing in whispers outside the door.

Mori picked up Honey and put him on his shoulders," What were you thinking Tamaki? You barely know this girl. Anything could have happened."

"I happen to know her very well!"

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming here dude," Hikaru straightened up," You could have got us all into some kind of trouble or danger."

"No one asked you to come!"

"Kaoru wanted to come. He was worried about you."

"Hey!"Kaoru looked at his brother.

"This really was a bad idea. Haruhi's father did not look happy to see anyone, especially you Tamaki. And what were you doing in her room that upset him so much?"Kyoya spoke.

The whole group was looking at him.

"Nothing. I kissed her... Well she kissed me."

"That was not smart. What would have happened if we hadn't turned up?"Kyoya asked.

"I didn't need you to save me. I just... I was worried about her."

" You were right to be. Her father didn't seem very pleasant. I can imagine that he would be worse if he had consumed alcohol."

"You think Ranka did that to her?"

"I'm not sure. We barely know anything about her home life. We should go."

Everyone climbed down the stairs and got into their respective cars. They didn't hear the crashes and screams after they left.

* * *

Haruhi ate her soup, alone like her father had said. The house was quiet. Before going to bed, she went to check on her father. He hadn't eaten all day. There was no way she would let him go to bed without food. She grabbed a bowl and brought it to his room. It was dark and she could see him under the covers.

"Dad. I bought you a bowl of soup. You haven't eaten today."

"..."

"Please don't be upset with me...or my friend. He's all I have..."

A beer bottle smashed against the wall next to Haruhi, splashing her. She screamed and dropped the bowl of soup. It shattered as well.

"You will not have friends like him or any of them! They don't respect you or me! And what do you mean he's all you have? You have me you ungrateful brat! I'm the one who puts a roof over your head and food in your stomach! I'm the one who allowed you to go take the test for that fancy school. Get out of my room! You're going to school tomorrow. I never said I needed you to take care of me!"

Haruhi left and closed his door behind her. She didn't sleep well that night.

* * *

At school the next day, Haruhi decided not to go to the host club. She wanted to apologize to Tamaki and his friends, but her father had spoken. She was not to have any contact with them. After lunch, she went to the gazebo in the rose garden. It was her own little hideout and she didn't have to worry about any club members. When she arrived, she was shocked. Every single club member was sitting on the benches lining the walls as if they had been waiting for her. She turned to leave.

"Don't go Haruhi. We need to talk." Tamaki was suddenly beside her.

"I'm not aloud to speak to any of you."

"Then just listen. Yesterday was something special and I want to get to know you better. They want to get to know you too."

The rest of the members were behind her. She could feel their presence but she wouldn't look.

"I'm Mitsukuni Haninozuka." She could tell that he was the little cute one," Everyone calls me honey. I love cake and I'm in highschool even though I don't look like it."

"I am Takashi Morinozuka," he was the strong, silent type, " You can call me Mori for short. It is nice to meet you."

"We are the Hitachiin twins," they said together. "

"I'm Hikaru"

"And I'm Kaoru."

" I bet you can't tell us apart."

"I am Kyoya Ootori," he was the scary one with the glasses, " You may call me Kyoya. I apologize for reading your file."

Haruhi was smiling.

"What do you think Haruhi? Will you give us a chance despite what your dad says? We're not bad people."

She turned around and greeted all of them with a warm, awe inspiring smile," I know you're not bad people and I don't care what my dad says. I would love to have friends like you all."

They were silently staring at her with their mouths agape.

"What's wrong?"

Honey spoke up," Tamaki was right. You really are the most beautiful girl in the world."

She looked at Tamaki," You said that!?"

"Um... Yeah, but I meant what I said. We all are meeting in the club room after school. Will you join us?"

The scent of roses saturated the air.

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Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

This chapter isn't as bold as the others, but thanks for reading anyways.

* * *

Ch.5

At the end of the day, Haruhi packed her things and headed to the club room with the twins. She had just noticed that they were all in the same class.

Hikaru spoke," Do you want to play a game?"

"What kind of game?"

They stepped in front of her and said together," the which one is Hikaru and Kaoru game."

She paused and stared at them for a second.

She pointed to her left," You're Hikaru."

She pointed to her right," You're Kaoru."

With that, she walked between them and pulled them along behind her.

The other boys were already waiting for her in the music room when she arrived with the twins. They were sitting around a large table eating cake.

Tamaki jumped up," Haruhi! Come over here. I have a seat saved especially for you."

He was so cute that she couldn't resist.

"So what do you guys actually do in the host club?"

Kyoya answered," We use our natural abilities and charm to make young ladies, such as yourself, feel like the most beautiful and special people in the world."

"Isn't that kind of bad? Don't the girls feel like you're playing them?"

"Actually, no. They are technically paying for the food service and time spent with us. They know there is no emotional attachment."

"I'm not paying for any service, so why was I invited here?"

Tamaki answered," We want you to be the newest member of the host club. You would entertain our school's male population and it would bring in a huge profit."

She looked around the table. Everyone watched her expectantly.

"I don't know."

"Whyyyyyy?" Honey yawned.

"I'm not much of a flirt and I'm not really comfortable around guys."

Tamaki took her hand," You would just have to do what you are doing right now. Show them your charming smile and just talk to them about their hopes and dreams. You'll get tons of customers especially because you're the most beautiful girl in school."

"You keep saying that. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had feelings for me Tamaki Suoh."

He gave a nervous laugh. Haruhi was unaware that the cheery carefree mood around the table had turned into a serious, jealous one.

"Give me the weekend to think about it. I'l let you all know on Monday."

"Fine." Hikaru stood," Let's go Kaoru." They left.

Mori and Honey left next without a word.

"What's wrong with them? Did I say something wrong?"

Kyoya pushed up his glasses and stood," Have a nice day... Haruhi." He left.

"What just happened?"

"I don't know. I've never seen them like that before."

* * *

When Haruhi finally made it home from school on her bike, the sun was setting. She parked it by the wall and entered the apartment, intending to make dinner. Surprisingly, Ranka was already sitting at the table waiting for her with a meal for two spread out in front of him.

"Um... Hi dad. Sorry I'm late. I was going to make dinner, but I didn't know you'd be home so early."

"I decided to take off early to spend the afternoon with you for once. Where were you?"

She sat down across from him," I had club activities. You should have called me. I would have left earlier."

"What kind of club was it?"

"It was an art club."

They started to eat," I didn't know you were into arts and crafts."

"Well..."

"I'm sorry Haruhi."

She stopped eating.

"I shouldn't have treated those boys like that. It scared me when I saw you with that blonde boy in your room, but I realize now that you're growing up. You're not going to tell me about everything you do."

"It's alright. They forgive you and I'm sorry too."

"That's not all I'm sorry for. I've been drinking... Alot. I hurt you last week and I almost hurt you again. I don't always realize what I'm doing. Sometimes I just think about your mom and..."

"Dad?"

"Before you say anything, I know there's no excuse for any of it."

"I forgive you. I know things aren't easy and sometimes it's just too much. I think about mom too. Promise me you'll slow down the drinking though."

"I promise Haruhi. Now eat. Our food is getting cold."

After a few minutes, Ranka spoke again," I know you weren't at arts club. You were with those boys. You hate arts and crafts. It's okay though. I trust your judgement."

Saturday and Sunday flew by. Ranka worked at night and slept through the day. Haruhi did her homework. Her mind was constantly plagued by wether she would be a host.

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Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Thank you guys for following this and your amazing reviews. You make writing worth it.

* * *

Ch.6

On Monday, Haruhi had made up her mind. She would be a Host. She was nervous about telling them that and that only made the morning classes fly by. She walked slowly to the club room after lunch, dreading the job she would have to do. The dread was quickly replaced with shock and anger when she got outside the club door. A 4ft x 3ft billboard was sitting on a stand next to the door. It was a picture of her with a huge smile on her face at the gazebo. The words next to her said that she was the newest host and told all her fine qualities. What angered her the most was that they had already made her a host without her permission. And when had they taken that picture?!

She stormed through the door ready to confront them when she was almost trampled by a group of guys. They swarmed around her like the girls around the Hosts. A hand reached through the throng of people and pulled her out. What the... She was gently pushed onto a couch and one by one guys came and sat around her. She had no idea what was going on. Haruhi looked around for the other members, but they were entertaining ladies in their own area. All the guys were talking at once.

"It's awesome that they have a girl host."

"You are so pretty."

"What's your favorite color?"

"What grade are you in?"

"I like your eyes."

"Smile for us Haruhi."

"What do your parents do?"

"Your hair looks really soft?"

"Do you watch anime?"

There were so many questions that she didn't know who to answer first. Haruhi held up her hand and they were silenced instantly.

With a winning smile ,she said," One at a time please."

That worked better than expected. They were practically swooning. Slowly, she got to know each boy and they got to know her as well. Her throat began to hurt from so much talking and she was about to pour herself some tea when a guy pulled the kettle out of her hands and did it for her. She was about to protest, but a look from Tamaki made her stop. Her job was to feel like a princess. Though, she did notice that a lot of the girls in the room were glaring at her. Near the end of the hour, boys started leaving. They all gave her compliments and promised to be back the next day. She got up to go talk to Kyoya who was alone like her. She was exhausted. She had no idea how much work it was to be a host.

Halfway to Kyoya, a girl stepped into her path, holding a slice of cake. She was ready to greet the girl kindly but...

"Commoners like you have no right to be here, let alone impose on these guys. I have no idea why they picked you as a host."

She leaned forward as if she was going to trip and smashed the cake onto Haruhi's dress.

"Oops," she said.

Kyoya was by her side in an instant. He took one look at the mess and them at the girl," You are hereby banned from the Ouran Highschool Host Club for the next four months. You have just damaged private property and assaulted someone. If you come here again, it will result in a lawsuit. Effective immediately."

"But I..." The girl started to cry.

Kyoya had no soft spot," That was tasteless and classless. Like I said, Effective. Immediately."

She ran from the room crying.

"Are you alright Haruhi?"

"I'm fine. It was only a little cake." She tried to rub away some of the cake with a tea towel.

"No don't do that! You dab, not rub with this type of material." He took the towel from her and began dabbing at the icing.

It wasn't until a few seconds later that they both realized that he was dabbing at her chest. The other guys who were finishing up with their girls had noticed too. They weren't even paying them any attention anymore and were completely focused on what Kyoya was doing with Haruhi. Both turned red and Haruhi took the towel back.

"I... I can do it m...Myself."

"Okay."

The girls, frustrated at not being fawned over, got up and left, shooting daggers at Haruhi. There was an awkward silence as everyone just stared at each other. Suddenly, the bell rang and Haruhi was the first to leave. Hikaru and Karou would not look at her for the rest of the day. She didn't have any other friends, so she had to settle for schoolwork. The cake had left and ugly stain on her dress and she knew it was dry clean only. She wouldn't be able to wear it tomorrow. Everytime she passed a girl in the hallway they would snicker at her or glare. What had she ever done to them? School could not end soon enough. The second the last bell sounded, Haruhi was leaving. She grabbed her bag and her school books. The books wouldn't fit in her bag because the zipper was broken and it wouldn't close. She was walking out the front door, when she noticed that it was eerily deserted. There were no no people around. At all. Had she missed the memo? Haruhi cautiously walked through the entryway. Suddenly, she was drenched in ice water. Bucket after bucket after bucket poured over her head, drowning her. The schoolbooks were knocked out of her hands and the contents of her bag were swept away by the current. As quickly as it started it stopped. She was freezing. Haruhi could barely comprehend the girls emerging from the bushes or from inside the school, laughing and pointing. She looked up. Girls holding buckets were laughing down at her. Among them was the girl who had insulted her earlier.

People began pulling out cameras and taking pictures.

Someone said,"Show us your smile, Haruhi."

Haruhi tried as best she could to cover her body as the dress became see through and clung to her. It was all too much. The tears fell despite her protests and she sunk to the ground on her knees. The laughing only got louder. She wished she could sink into the concrete below her. What had she done to deserve this?

"That's for getting me kicked out of the Host club."

She couldn't reply. From nowhere, strong arms rapped around her and picked her. She couldn't look. She didn't want to look at anyone. The person began walking away from the group of laughing girls. She was set into a car and thats when she finally opened her eyes. She was in a huge limo. Kyoya entered the car from the other side and sat next to her. Not looking at her. The car began moving. He had somehow managed to get all of her drenched items as well and he sat them at her feet. She didn't even care where they were going, just that he had saved her.

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Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.7

The car pulled up outside of a sprawling mansion. Haruhi was still freezing and soaking wet. She had probably ruined the seat. She went to open the door, but Kyoya shook his head.

"The driver will open the door for you and don't worry about your things or the seat."

He had read her mind. She got out, very aware that the driver could see "everything" but he didn't even seem phased. Kyoya led her into and through the house. She noticed many pieces of fine art and a couple pictures of his family. He had a sister and two older brothers. All of the boys had the same unnerving steely gaze. There was a lot of expensive looking furniture and antiques. Even the flooring looked expensive. They ended in a large bedroom, his sister's. Kyoya told her to wait in the middle of the room and take off her wet clothes while he went to get her some clothes from the walk in closet. He promised he wouldn't look. The room was a monochrome purple. Green and white decorations gave it life. The floor was a light hardwood and the dressers and vanity were too. A desk was neatly piled with books and paper. Overall it had an elegant appeal. It was hard to believe that this was a girl's room.

Haruhi stood there in her wet underwear waiting for a sign from Kyoya. There was suddenly a loud crash and a yell from the closet. Forgetting she wasn't wearing much, Haruhi ran into the closet to see if Kyoya was alright. He was sitting on the floor rubbing his head, his glasses crooked. An open box with broken figurines, and a bundle of clothes lay next to him on the floor.

Haruhi crouched next to him," Oh my! Kyoya, are you alright!?"

She straightened his glasses. He looked up at her and froze. Quickly looking away and turning red he handed her the clothes," I'm fine. You should get dressed."

She looked down at herself and scrambled away from him. Without another word, he got up and left her in the closet alone. He had given her a baby blue sundress and sweater. It fit perfectly even though it was a bit too short. She went into the bedroom looking for Kyoya but he wasn't there. Cautiously, she made her way down the hallway taking the box of figurines with her until she heard noise. Peeking around a corner, she saw Kyoya talking on the phone.

"If I see one picture, your family will be bankrupt before you even know what happened. Every single one needs to be deleted. Make sure you tell your friends." He hung up.

Sighing, he set down the phone and touched his head. There was an almost inaudible wince. Haruhi walked into the sitting room and set the box on the table.

"You should really let me look at that."

She sat next to him on the couch. He looked up, surprised," I'm fine, really. It's just a bump on the head. Her old figurines were on top of the clothes I was getting."

"What do you want to do about them?"

"We were going to throw them out anyway. So now we have a good reason to."

"What do you want to do about them?"

"What? These aren't..."

" You know what I'm talking about."

"...I don't know. Nothing I guess. What can I do?"

"You can continue being a host. Those girls won't bother you again. I promise."

" I don't think I want to be a host anymore. Look where it got me." She looked down.

He put his hand under her chin and lifted it to look into her eyes," What they did was beyond wrong. Unlike them, you have brains and beauty. Prove them wrong and stay. They only dislike you because they are jealous... And they should be."

They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds. Slowly, they inched closer. They were going to kiss but Haruhi pulled away. Her kiss with Tamaki popped into her mind. She couldn't do this to him. She wasn't even sure what their status was. Kyoya looked hurt. He adjusted his glasses and stood, turning his back on her.

"You can leave your dress. It's damaged beyond repair now. I'l have someone ship you a new one this week." That was her cue to leave.

"Kyoya."

"Kyoya look at me!" She yelled

As soon as he turned around, Haruhi planted a kiss on his lips. Right then, the doorbell rang, cutting them short.

"Who the hell could that be!?" Kyoya was annoyed.

He broke apart from Haruhi and went to answer the door. Standing there in the entrance was the rest of the Host Club. Tamaki didn't even wait for Kyoya to say anything. He just took off yelling for Haruhi.

"We heard what happened to Haruhi and that you saved her. Where is she?" Honey asked.

Kyoya moved aside," She's in the sitting room."

All of the guys followed Kyoya. When they got to the room, Haruhi stood frozen with her arms pinned to her side as Tamaki squeezed her to death.

Kyoya cleared his throat and he let go.

"That's a really small dress, Kyoya. Did you give it to her?"Hikaru questioned.

"I did. It's one of my sister's from when she was ten."

"Thanks Kyoya. That makes me feel so much better about my body."

"Don't worry. You're beautiful." Kyoya gave a rare smile.

"Did you watch her change?" Kaoru asked.

Kyoya sputtered,"No. Of course not!"

Before the tension could rise between the group again, Haruhi broke in.

"Guys?"

"Yes, Haruhi?" Tamaki responded.

"I have an idea about what I should do about the host club."

"So you are staying?" Kyoya asked.

"Yes. I think I should be able to be a Host for girls as well. It would eliminate some of the jealousy."

There was a collective gasp.

"We didn't know you liked..."

"That's not what I meant Hikaru! I meant that I can be like the big sisterly type. You know, help them through their problems and things."

There was a pause as everyone thought about it.

Tamaki said, " I think it's a great idea."

* * *

Shout out to Jazzy-Booey for your great ideas. You are a huge help and I love your reviews.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite. Sorry I probably won't be able to update everyday now that spring break is over.


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own ouran highschool host club.

* * *

Ch.8

The guys left after they were sure that Haruhi was okay. She stood in the doorway about to exit too when Kyoya called her.

"What is it Kyoya?"

"... What did that kiss mean?"

"... I don't know."

He only nodded," Because we left your bike at the school, my driver will take you home and pick you up in the morning at 7:45. Also you will be delivered some new schoolbooks and supplies."

He turned around and left her with the driver. She knew that it had been the wrong thing to say and that she didn't mean it. At least not completely. She knew she like Kyoya, but she also like Tamaki.

She climbed into the limo and the driver closed the door. She was about to wave goodbye, but Kyoya had already left. When she got home it was around six o'clock. She said goodbye and was left alone at her apartment. She got to work cooking dinner. Her homework had been destroyed so she had none of that. She wondered what her teachers would say. Haruhi decided to take a short nap. She turned off the stove and climbed in the bed. When she woke, it was dark and there were voices in the family room. She slunk down the hallway as quietly as possible. Ranka was eating with his back to the door and a guy was eating in front of him. He was in his early thirties and fairly handsome.

"You said your daughter cooked this, Ranka? It's amazing."

"Yea. She always cooks dinner. I work late and she's stuck here alone. I sometimes regret not going to college. I could have given her a better life."

"Don't beat yourself up over it. Just be happy that she's alive, healthy," he looked at her picture," and beautiful... Hey there." He had spotted her.

"Um, hi." Haruhi said.

She came and sat next to Ranka.

"Did we wake you up hon?" Ranka asked.

"No Dad. I was just taking a nap, waiting for you."

"Well eat. It's getting late."

Haruhi fixed herself a plate and began eating. The whole time, the mystery man was watching her. It made her uneasy. She was aware that she was still wearing the short blue dress and moved her legs to cover more of her thighs.

Ranka said,"That's a nice dress. Where'd you get it?"

"I got it from my friend Kyoya."

"One of those boys bought you a dress!"

"No he didn't buy it. Something happened at school and I needed emergency clothes so he took me to his house and gave me some of his sister's."

"Well I guess that's okay."

Ranka noticed that the mystery man was quiet. When he followed his eyes, they were staring at Haruhi's thighs.

"Um, hey. Follow me. Dinner's over," Ranka stood up and so did the guy, "Don't wait up Haruhi."

They disappeared into Ranka's bedroom, but not before the guy glanced at her one more time. Something in his eyes made her uneasy. Haruhi sighed. So this was another one of Ranka's 'late night dates'. She quickly cleaned up and went back to her room. She hated this house sometimes. She tried going back to bed, but couldn't fall asleep. After two hours of tossing and turning, she decided to make herself some tea. She was waiting in the kitchen for the water to boil when she heard someone walking in the hallway. Haruhi was only wearing a short nightgown and no bra. Hopefully, it was her dad or this could get awkward. Her luck ran out. The man came into the kitchen only wearing boxers and looking half asleep, but when he saw her, he became wide awake.

"I didn't think you'd be up."

"Well... I am. Did you need something?"

"I wanted a glass of water."

Haruhi spoke under her breath as she searched for a clean glass,"After all I heard, you'd think he'd be dehydrated."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

She found a glass and he got himself some water. When he was done drinking, she thought that he would leave, but he just kind of stared at her.

He asked," How old are you."

"Sixteen."

"Oh."

He said goodnight and began retreating back down the hall. She turned back to the kettle and was about to make tea when she felt hands on her waist. She turned and almost dropped the mug in her hands. Mystery man was right behind her.

"What are you doing! Leave me alone or I'l scream!"

"Don't yell. I won't hurt you."

She began backing up, but he followed. He took the mug out of her hands and set it on the counter. Soon her back was against the wall and his arms were on either side of her. His face was inches away.

"You wouldn't dare scream."

Haruhi was aware that he could see down her top.

"Try me. Now move!"

"What did I say about yelling? You know you want me. I could see it in your eyes earlier. You were checking me out."

"No I wasn't. Now get away before I call my Dad."

They stared down each other. Eventually, he pushed away and began walking down the hall leaving her feeling small and terrified

"Goodnight Haruhi."

The kettle began boiling. She didn't want tea anymore. Haruhi made her way back down the hallway as if in a haze. With caution, she passed her father's room and climbed imto bed. Sleep was almost instantanious. The alarm went off in the morning and Haruhi had a hard time waking up, until she remebered that Kyoya's driver would be picking her up. Her only school uniform had been destroyed so she had to find sonething similar to it. She found a yellow dress with puffy sleeves and a collar in her closet. She had gotten it as a gift years ago but had never worn it because of the color. It was very similar to the unifirm only that it was above her knees. It would have to do. She quickly got dressed and was headed out the door, but before going she checked her father's room. Ranka was fast asleep and the guy was gone. Good. She hated that man.

The driver was on time and Kyoya was in the car. He looked practically demonic first thing in the morning, but when he saw her dress he blushed.

"You look nice. Um...How did you sleep Haruhi?"

"Well, I guess. You should really get used to girls showing a bit of skin."

"Uh yea."


	9. Chapter 9

I do nit own ouran highschool host club.

* * *

Ch.9

They arrived at the school. For once Haruhi felt important. She was arriving in a limo to school. The driver opened her door and she got out. Instantly, heads turned. A gentle breeze blew, her dress just barely rippling at the hem.

Someone shouted," Who's she!"

"Is she some kind of movie star!"

"I think she already goes here."

"That dress is so pretty on her."

"I wish our uniforms looked like that."

"She is amazingly pretty though. I thought she was famous or something."

Kyoya came around the back of the vehicle and took her arm in his.

He looked smoothly at her," That's enough for now don't you think, love? We should go to class."

She was taken aback by him, but agreed nonetheless. It wasn't until she got to the door, that she saw Tamaki fuming on the balcony. The morning classes were boring and she did not get in trouble for being out of uniform or not having any supplies. Kyoya had contacted Tamaki who had contacted the chairman of the school on Haruhi's situation. She had been excused and told she could make up the work.

* * *

For lunch, Haruhi was about to eat in the hallway like always, when Tamaki walked by.

"Hey Haruhi."

She looked up," Oh, hey Tamaki."

He sat next to her," Why are you eating in the hallway?"

"I always do."

"...What are we?"

She was stunned by the question," What do you mean?"

"Are we in a relationship Haruhi or aren't we?"

"I don't..."

"A while ago, you kissed me and now a lot is going on between you and Kyoya. I don't know how you feel about me."

"I like you, a lot, Tamaki, but I'm not dating anyone. It still feels like we just met. That day, I was... I was lonely and you just showed up. I didn't know how to react so my emotions took over."

"I get it... You should finish lunch soon. We have to get to the club room to get dressed."

"Get dressed?"

"You'll see."

* * *

They were just adjusting the cat ears on Haruhi when people began walking in.

"Is this getup really necessary?" Haruhi asked.

"Yes. It's adorable, especially on you. As the seasons start changing, we start adding costumes."

They had dressed her in a black one-piece catsuit made completely of leather. Also she had cat ears. It even had a tail. The rest of the guys were just wearing all black uniforms and cat ears. Uncomfortably, she went to sit down. Almost instantly, she was surrounded by guys. They were all saying how cute she was and when she meowed for them they almost rioted. She barely had to ask any questions before they started talking about themselves. At least she didn't have much to say. One guy even went as far as to ask her out on a date, but before he even got it all the way out, the twins dragged him away.

There was a tiny tap on her shoulder. When Haruhi turned around a group of nervous girls stood behind her.

"Um... Ms. Fujioka, is it?"

"Yeah. What can I do for you?"

"We heard that you were a host for girls now too, like as a big sister. We really want to talk to you."

"Sure thing. These guys were just leaving."

Taking the hint, all of the guys got up and left as one. Three girls took their place.

"So what's the problem?"

"Well one guy asked me out last week."

"That's a good thing right?"

"Yes, but then he asked out..."

"Me," the girl on the left said.

"And me," the girl on the right said.

"Apparently he's been dating a couple other girls as well. We don't know what to do about him. We don't want other girls to get hurt the way we did."

"I see your problem. Maybe you should confront him in a place where there aren't a lot of other people. If he denies this, you and other girls should boycott a relationship with him. If he has no one to date, he can't cheat."

"That's such good advise. Thank you Ms. Fujioka!"

"Call me Haruhi."

They smiled and waved goodbye.

Haruhi yelled across the room," I'm going to the restroom. I'l be back in five minutes."

* * *

Once in there she had trouble unzipping the zipper on the back of the cat suit. She was just about to give up when another girl walked in.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry to bother you, but could you unzip this for me."

"Sure. Why are you..."

They had finally seen each other's faces. It was the girl from the water incident.

The girl opened her mouth to speak.

"Don't you dare say anything. I will never forgive you for what you did. That had to have been one of the worst and most embarrassing day of my life."

"I was..."

"I don't care what you were doing! You destroyed my things and nearly drowned me!"

"Now you're being a bit dramatic! Why don't you cry to your mommy about all this or Kyoya? You got me kicked out of the Host Club."

Haruhi smacked her hard across the face. The sound reverberated off of the tile like their raised voices. The girl's skin turned an angry red.

"Because I don't have a mom! I couldn't even tell my dad about it because he would have freaked out or... All I have is the Host Club. You rich people get whatever you want and think you can do whatever you want. You can live without the host club for a few months!" She was crying now.

"Dont tell me what I do and don't have. Unlike you, I don't have friends or guys fawning over me. Right now, I have no one!"

They stood there staring at each other in angry silence. Slowly, it dissipated.

"I didn't know about your mom. I shouldn't have said that. I was just jealous because they picked you as a Host and you could see and hang out with Kyoya everyday. I have had a crush on him since grade school."

"I shouldn't have slapped you."

"It's okay. I deserved it completely. I started going to the Host Club after my parent's divorce. I haven't been able to see my mom in months and my dad lives for his work. It was the only place I felt special and then I lost that too."

"Have you tried talking to a counselor about that?"

"My dad hired a therapist, but all they want is money. They barely listen when I talk."

"Come see me during lunch at the host club. I'l get you back in."

"So you forgive me?"

"We'll see."

"Can we start over... Please?"

"...I'm Haruhi Fujioka and it's nice to meet you."

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Sorry if it's kind if slow. I'm working on some new ideas and trying to stay original. Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own ouran highschool host club.

* * *

Ch.10

By the time Haruhi had made it back, they were cleaning up.

"What took you so long'" questioned Hikaru," Did you fall in?"

"Haha, no. I was talking to someone."

Tamaki walked toward her," Are you okay? Your eyes are red and puffy."

"I'm fine, honest. Now can someone unzip me. I need to get dressed for class."

Tamaki unzipped it just enough so she could get the rest herself and she went into the other room to change. When she returned she was in her yellow sundress. She cleaned up her section and said her goodbyes. She was nearly out of the door when two hands rested on her shoulders.

"Whaaa..."

Hikaru spun her around. They were nearly nose to nose and she had no idea what was going on. Neither did the other Hosts.

"Hikaru..." Karou was about to ask.

Hikaru plucked the cat ears off of Haruhi's head,"We cant let you walk out of here looking cuter than you need to be." He winked.

"Uh thanks.." She couldn't help notice the weird glint in his eyes.

Haruhi left. The other Host continued on with their business even though there was a charged tension in the air. After the incidents with the host club today, all Haruhi wanted was a normal day, but that's not what she got. She felt eyes on the back of her head the rest of the day. When she would turn around Hikaru would be staring at her. He didn't even bother to hide it.

Once, the teacher even said," Mr. Hikaru Hitachiin, would you please stop staring at Ms. Fujioka and get some work done? I know she's beautiful but god, don't you want to graduate?"

All the girls giggled, but he just kind of shrugged and smiled before starting his work, but his eyes always returned to her. After the last bell rang, she went over to his desk. Kaoru had gotten up to go to the bathroom.

"Hikaru, I noticed that you were staring at me all through the afternoon. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. Actually, everything is right. The right person, place, time..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just read the card."

He handed her an envelope with her name beautifully scrawled across the front and left without another word. She had her bike back, so she left too. It would take a while to get home. Once in the door, she immediately hurried to her room and locked the door. She didn't want to be disturbed. Delicately, she opened the letter. It was plain white cardstock about 3in x 5in. At the top was the Hitachiin, or what she thought was the Hitachiin, family symbol. In Hikaru's flowing cursive he wrote,

Haruhi Fujioka,

I request your attendence at The Vinyard resturant today at 8:00pm. There is no need to bring money. I will cover the bill. My driver will be at your place of residence at 7:15. Please dress nicely, and come alone.

Hikaru Hitachiin

Haruhi didn't know how to react. At first, she was angry about him telling her that he was taking her to dinner and him already sending a driver after her. Then she was scared at the last line, come alone. Last, she was flattered. He was taking her out to dinner. She glanced at the clock. It was already 6:30. She would have to find something to wear. She dug through her closet until she settled on an all black tight dress. It was simple and had three quarter sleeves and a v-neck. The hem ended at her knees. She tried to curl her hair but it came out as a frizzy mess so she swept it into an elegant bun. A few wisps of face fell into her face and there was nothing she could do about them. She tried to put on eye make up, but it was too dark and she had to wipe most of it off. The only thing tht worked perfectly was her red lipstick. It was times like this that she wished she had a mom to share tips and tricks with or tell her that she looked beautiful. She had Ranka but he was at work now and even when he told her she was beautiful, it wasn't the same.

She quickly put a cold casserole in the oven for Ranka to heat up when he got home.

By the time she was completely ready, the driver was outside. She closed the door behind her and got into the limo. Hikaru wasn't there.

"Um sir?"

"Yes m'am?"

"Where's Hikaru?"

"He is at the restaurant waiting for you."

With that they drove away. It took 45 minutes as expected to get there. Outside the door, a line of people wound around the block. Hikaru was waiting by the door.

"Thanks for inviting me. Is anyone else coming? Where's Karou?"

She thought she saw something move in his eyes but it was gone instantly.

"It's just us tonight. Come on. I reserved us a table earlier."

He put his hand on her back and led her to a table in the back of the restaurant. It was a quiet, secluded little corner and the booth was walled off by curtains.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	11. Chapter 11

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.11

The second they were across from each other in the booth, a waiter came to bring their menus. Before, Haruhi could order a water, Hikaru ordered them both champagne. The waiter raced off as if his life depended on it.

"Is it even legal for him to serve that to us?"

"Yes. You would be surprised to know that my family has owned this business for many years. It's one of our little know investments, but it brings in a large profit."

"Of course you own it..." She mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. So there is no one else joining us?"

"No." His eyes flashed again.

"Um... So thanks for inviting me."

"You're welcome. You look very nice."

"You think so? My hair is a mess and my makeup is terrible."

"No, it looks refined and elegant. A man had his eyes glue to you the second you walked through the door. I thought I would have to kill him. I barely recognized you at first."

The waiter came back and set the glasses down in front of them.

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked.

"come back in a few minutes." Said Hikaru.

The waiter left. Haruhi had picked up the menu to read it, but it was all in Italian, even the descriptions.

"Um, Hikaru, I don't know Italian. I can't read this."

"I'm sorry. I forgot. Let me help."

He came around and sat next to her. She was aware how close he was to her. Every time their legs brushed, he would look into her face. She could smell his cologne.

He pointed at the menu," This is a very thin pasta in a white cheese sause. It's good. This right here is chicken coated in parmesean. It's not bad, but overpriced for the quality. This is my favorite. They are little pockets stuffed with crab and shrip, served with salad."

"I'l have that then."

"I will, the same."

He threw his arm over the back of the booth behind her and picked up a glass.

"Let's toast to you, Haruhi."

"What?"

"Let's toast to you, joining the host club."

"Okay."

They toasted. Haruhi nearly downed the whole glass in one gulp. It was bubbly and made her all warm and tingly. She suddenly, had the weird urge to laugh. Violin played in the background and moved closer. Haruhi moved the curtain so she could see. A young man about her age was playing the violin in front of a table. He was dressed in jeans and a dinner jacket. His hair was a shimmering gold and hung in beautiful waves to his shoulders. He glanced over and winked at her. His eyes were a piercing blue.

Hikaru looked to see what she was staring at. He instantly yanked the curtains closed without a word. The waiter came back and took their orders, but the mood had shifted a bit. Haruhi ordered another glass of champagne. She would be drunk before this was over.

"Haruhi, you should slow down. At least wait, for the food."

"Fine."

A few more minutes of awkward silence passed. Haruhi stared at the flames from the candelabra and played with the table cloth. Without realizing, she had finished her second glass of champaigne and was absolutely buzzed. She hadn't even realized when the food had been set out or Hikaru had started talking or moved to the other side of the booth.

"Haruhi! could you pay a little attention to what is going on around you please?"

"I'm sorry! I tried to do that earlier, but you closed the curtains!"

"That's not what I meant. Eat your food. It's getting cold."

"I'm not a child!"

"I know that. You're a beautiful young woman."

Everything was back to normal. Haruhi began eating but couldn't quite eat the pockets without them spilling their contents first. Once, one of them exploded under her fork and almost got the creamy contents on her dress.

"Here. Let me help you."

He came around and sat next to her again. Taking her fork in his hand, he proceded to delicately puncture the pocket before scooping out its contents. Haruhi was about to take the fork back from him, but he grabbed her hand with his free one and fed her himself. It was quite romanitic.

"Um... I can do it myself."

"I know, but you looked so cute..."

He pulled his plate around and ate on her side too.

"Could you open the curtains. It's kind of stuffy in here."

"Sure."

The second they opened the curtains. Haruhi had a third glass of champagne in her hand. Now she didn't even bother to supress her laughter at nothing. A few heads turned, but Hikaru just smiled at her giddiness. The boy playing the violin came over. His eyes were locked on Haruhi.

"A song for the miss?"

"No..." Hikaru was about to deny him but Haruhi spoke over him.

"Do you know Claire de Lune by Debussy? It's my favorite song."

"Anything for you, love." He had a thick British accent.

Haruhi leaned on one elbow on the table listening and Hikaru slouched back, clearly upset.

Too soon, the music ended, "Ciao bella." He said and went to another table.

"Wasn't that nice Hikaru."

"Sure."

"What's wrong with you. You are up and down and... I don't even know."

"I don't know if you noticed, but this was a date and you have paid attention to everything but us."

"I didn't know this was a date! I thought you were just taking me to dinner."

"How can you be so dense! It's almost comical. I sat next to you and got close to you on purpose. I got us a special booth and champagne, which you've clearly had too much of. You're as red as a tomato. I fed you and I told you to dress up. Did you not notice that no one else was here with us or coming to join us?! God, Haruhi!"

"I can't believe you! Where is this coming from? You never even told me you liked me. Does this have anything to do with Tamaki or Kyoya?"

"Why would they have anything to do with this? Again. You are so dense!"

She picked up her purse and started walking toward the door though slightly crooked. Halfway through the resturant she yelled, "And you're an ASSHOLE!"

Everyone was silent and staring at them. Hikaru ran after her and stopped her at the door by putting a hand on her shoulder and spun her around. She was crying.

"Haruhi..."

"Don't touch me!" He let go.

"How are you getting home?"

"I'l take a cab." With that she ran into the ,now pouring, rain, hailed a cab and got in, leaving Hikaru in the entrance alone.

The cab pulled up outside of her apartment. She payed the driver and walked through the rain as if it wasn't there. Her makeup was already ruined from crying and she had already been rained on. What was a little more water? She went to unlock the door, but found that it was already open. She walked in and then kicked off her shoes. Ranka came around the corner looking extremely angry.

"Haruhi! Do you know what time it is? Where were you? Is that alcohol I smell?" Then he saw the tears."

"Haruhi?"

That's when she broke down completely. Ranka hurried over to her and cradled her in his arms like when she was five.

"Sh... Sh... Don't cry. God, you're soaking wet. Have you been drinking? Where were you?"

"Apparently, I was on a date."

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	12. Chapter 12

I do not own ouran highschool host club.

* * *

Ch.12

It took a while for Haruhi to compose herself, but finally, she did. She pulled away from her father and went to the bathroom to wipe off the rest of her smeared makeup. In the mirror, her eyes were bloodshot and her skin was blotchy. She still felt buzzed possibly drunk. Haruhi had never had any alcohol in her life and on the worst day of her life she had drank like a fish. That was not good. She couldn't be like Ranka.

Haruhi took a long hot bath and went back into the family room with her dad.

"Are you alright now?"

"You could call it that..."

"Now tell me. Where were you and what happened?"

"I was at this fancy resturant with Hikaru. He took me out for dinner. I didn't expect to be gone so long. Something happened and we had a fight. I left."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"No he's just a friend."

"But he took you out to dinner. You said..."

"I know what I said. We're... We were friends."

"Where did the alcohol come from and how much have you had?"

"His family owns the resturant so he was able to get whatever he wanted. I think I had three or four full glasses of champagne. Everything's kind of fuzzy."

"Considering how much you've had, you should be feeling the effects soon."

"What eff..."

Suddenly her stomach lurched and everything she had ate rushed to her throat. She raced to the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach. Everything tasted much worse coming up than going down. Even after Haruhi's stomach was empty, she kept gagging and heaving. Ranka came in and leaned against the doorframe, holding two asprin and a bottle of water.

"Now comes the splitting headache."

She coughed," yea."

It took a few more minutes to feel steady again, but it came eventually. She was about to go back to the family room, but Ranka stopped her.

"Go to bed Haruhi. You look and probably feel terrible. We can talk more tomorrow. You're not going to school either. You'll have a killer hangover in the morning."

"Thanks dad."

* * *

The club room was packed with people. More than normal. Unfortunately, they were leaving in droves. Most were there to see Haruhi.

"Where is Haruhi? Was she not in school today?" Kyoya asked as he moved out of the way of another group of people leaving.

"She wasn't in class at all. Maybe she stayed home. The weather is starting to change. She could have a cold." Karou said.

"That's unfortunate. We're losing a lot of business." Kyoya said while writing on the clipboard.

Kaoru spoke up," Hikaru, weren't you with her last night. You came home grumbling about how bad you messed up, a fight and her not realizing it was a date..."

"SHUT UP KAORU!" Hikaru laughed unnaturally.

Tamaki stood up and walked closer to Hikaru, his fists balled," You took Haruhi out on a date..."

"No. I just bought her dinner. I wanted to give her something for being the newest host."

He got closer "You didn't invite us. We're all hosts too. And did you do anything on this dinner date?"

"Of course not. We're friends. We had a bit to drink and..."

"You got her DRUNK!"

"No. I didnt get her drunk. She got herself drunk."

"Why you..." Tamaki swung.

The few people who were left in the room gasped.

Kaoru jumped in front of Hikaru at the last second. Tamaki's fist clipped his jaw.

"Don't you dare swing at my brother!"

"DID YOU THINK THAT MAYBE SHE'S AT HOME WITH A HANGOVER, SUFFERING BECAUSE OF LAST NIGHT HIKARU. YOU MAY NOT CARE ABOUT HER BUT I DO!"

"Both of you cut it out. Haru-chan is fine. So what if it's a hangover? It'll pass. Tamaki, so what if he went on a date with Haruhi? Clearly his feelings weren't reciprocated. Clearly you two like her. You both should let her choose who she wants. For all we know it could be neither of you. This is ridiculous. We have never fought before and we are not about to start now. Now get over yourselves!" Honey yelled.

Eveything was still. The rest of the onlookers left.

"I shouldn't have swung at you Hikaru. Inwas way out of line." Tamaki apologized.

"It's alright. I shouldn't have just taken Haruhi out like that. She hated it."

"You could do whatever you want with Haruhi. She doesn't belong to any of us"

"Honey's right we should all just let go with trying to be more than friends with her. She can make up her own mind."

* * *

The next day during lunch, Haruhi went to the club room and she brought someone with her. There were only the Hosts there. They were so happy to see her. Oddly, none of them greeted her with the usual hug. Kyoya was the first to notice the hirl waiting by the door.

"Hey. Aren't you the girl who ruined Haruhi's dress and planned the water incident?"

"Um..."

"I don't know if you remember, but you're banned for four months."

"I..."

"Get out." he did not raise his voice but it was firm.

"I... I..." The girl's voice quivered.

"Get. Out."

"Kyoya. This is Hana Kuzimaki. Yes she did those things, but I've had a chance to talk to her. I decided that she shouldn't be banned from the Host Club."

"Whatever. You will be her host though. I don't want her." Kyoya shrugged and pushed past Hana, leaving the club room. She was still visibly upset and shrunk back as he went past.

"That was kind of harsh. Don't you think?" Haruhi asked no one in particular.

"I think he's still upset about what she did to you, probably more so than you."

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	13. Chapter 13

I do not own ouran highschool host club.

* * *

Ch.13

Kyoya ignored any type of conversation with Haruhi as long as she was around Hana. She went the rest of the day in silence then. Hikaru wouldn't look at her and Tamaki looked at her too much. She decided to have a quick meeting with everyone after school, without Hana. Everyone showed up in the club room as expected.

"Guys. I don't know what is going on with you all. We don't feel as cohesive as the first time we all had a real conversation. I don't like this. I have a feeling this is all because of me and I want to fix whatever problems we have, together."

Tamaki spoke up, "This is definately not because of you Haruhi. I'm not sure what's going on either. I've noticed the change in us as well. Kyoya, you have barely said a word to me in the last two weeks and ever since yesterday, you've been really quiet Hikaru. Can one of you please tell us what's up?"

No one spoke. They all stood around in silence for at least ten minutes. No one wanted to leave in fear of being rude, but no one wanted to speak either. Haruhi shifted uncomfortably.

"I have an idea. Why don't we all go on a retreat this weekend. It's suppost to be one of the warmest days of the end of the season. A club I was in at my old school did them twice a year so we could bond. I think it would work for us."

Honey said," That's a great idea Haru-chan! Let's do it. We can go to the beach!"

"I..."

The twins agreed,"Sounds like fun. We can use our family's private beach."

Tamaki," I'll pick you up saturday morning Haruhi and we can go together. It'll be fun. "

"Y... Yea."

Haruhi asked as everyone was leaving," Kyoya, you didn't say wether you were going or not."

"I'll think about it."

He was still cold.

* * *

That night Haruhi was talking to her dad across the table.

"Dad?"

"Yes Haruhi?"

"The guys all want us to go to a beach this Saturday for a club retreat. We've all been kind of distant lately and I thought we should all do something together. I didn't know they would choose a beach."

"You didn't tell them about the water?"

"No, they were all really excited and I didn't want to ruin their fun."

"But you're part of the club too. Your opinion matters."

"I know. I just won't go near the water."

* * *

That Saturday, like Tamaki said, he and his driver were there to pick her up. She had decided on a two piece polka dottted bathing suit, mainly because it was the only one she owned. Haruhi hated how revealing it was, so she wore a knee length cover up over it. She had packed a bag with sun screen, extra towels, a bucket and shovel, and a watermelon. She could have a lot of fun on the shore. Tamaki was waiting in the car with only board shorts.

"Where's your towel and things Tamaki?"

"It's the Hitachiin private beach. It's practically a resort. There are servers and stacks of towels and plenty of fresh fruit. You don't have to bring anything."

"I didn't know. I've never been to a private beach or anything of the sort." She gave a weak laugh," ha Ha... My status is showing." She blushed.

"It's alright Haruhi. It's perfectly normal to bring things. I was just too lazy to pack. Plus your bag matches your cover-up. You're really cute."

"Thank you."

"Hey. Did your new supplies ever get to your house?"

"Yea. I got brand new books instead of secondhand ones, two years worth of supplies, and three brand new dresses."

"That's great. Oh look! There's the beach."

Haruhi turned to look out the window. It was indeed a wonderful beach. There were blankets and umbrellas set up in various places, a section of rocks and cliff like structures, and even a couple small boats big enough for two people.

The car pulled up at the gate and they got out. The security guard saw Tamaki and immediately let them in. The twins, mori, and Honey were all waiting under an umbrella. When they saw Haruhi and Tamaki they waved.

"Hi guys! Are you ready to have a good time?" haruhi smiled.

"Sure. What do you want to do first?" Kaoru asked.

"What can we do?"

"There's tide pools. We could catch something for dinner. We could row out and swim. We could jump or dive off of the mini cliffs. We could build sand castles. There's a lot of stuff we could do."

"Shouldn't we wait for Kyoya?"

"He might show up. The beach really isn't his thing."

Hikaru spoke," Let's go rowing first. We can race. There's six of us."

The twins, Mori, and Honey took off at top speed for the boats. Tamaki did as well but stopped when he noticed that Haruhi wasn't running.

"Come on Haruhi. It'll be fun."

"I can't..."

"I know you won't want to row. I got it."

He grabbed her arm and together they sprinted off to the water. She wearily climbed into the little dingy and sat down. Tamaki began pushing it into the water. Everyone else was already rowing out.

"Hey! Are there life vests?"

"Nope!"

"Can't you swim?"

"Well..."

"Great! I can swim well too."

"But..."

"No buts. Let's gooooo." Tamaki began pushing the boat into the water and then he hopped in. It rocked and water splashed over the side. He didn't notice Haruhi gripping the edge. Once they got to the waves, the boat rocked dangerously and water splashed Haruhi. Tamaki was laughing and smiling, but it took everything in Haruhi not to curl into the fetal position. Eventually they made it to the middle of the lake.

Hikaru yelled over," Okay guys. First ones, to the shore win. The prize is undetermined. The only catch is you have to be blindfolded. One person is rowing and the other person is covering their eyes and directing them."

Tamaki was already rowing so Haruhi would be directing. She barely wanted to be in the boat, let alone play this stupid game. On the count of three they began rowing, it was smooth sailing until they got to the waves again. The boat lurched and swayed. Haruhi nearly cried when they tilted sideways and almost flipped over. Unfortunately, they were the last to make it to the shore.

"What took you guys so long?" Honey asked when they got back.

"We almost capsized, but hey that would have been alright. I'm a great swimmer and I'm sure Haruhi is too," He looked over at her," What are we doing next?"

"I want to see the tidle pools." Mori said.

They all agreed. Mori hardly ever talked and when he did it's because it was important.

* * *

Thanks for reading. I promise the next chapter will be a lot better. I can't update regularly because the school year is ending and there is a lot of work, projects, papers, and tests. Also, I'm working on a major science experiment for my last grade. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	14. Chapter 14

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.14

They made their way to the tide pools carrying buckets, shovels, and nets. Earlier, the wind had been blowing and it was chilly, but now the sun was bright and hot. Haruhi longed to take off the warm cover-up but she did not feel comfortable showing that much skin. The rocks were slippery from the spray of the waves and they had to take off their shoes, so they wouldn't fall. The rock, even though it was directly in the sun, was cold. Small ledges jutted out over other rock and there were some areas where a huge pits had been cut out by erosion. Here and there, little pools were teeming with small fish, crabs, snails, and plants.

Haruhi spoke," These are so cool. How do they get here?"

Hikaru answered her," Do you mean the pools or the organisms?"

"Both!"

"When the tide rises, the plants and animals are floating over these rocks and when the tide goes down they get stuck in these pools."

"And they can just survive in these pools?"

"Yea. It's like they never left the ocean."

Tamaki spoke," What are we catching for dinner?"

"Why don't we try crabs. There's plenty."

The guys crowded around pools together trying to shoo crabs into the buckets or scoop them up without getting anything else. Kaoru stuck a net in the water and caught a crab, but it snipped the net and cut a hole big enough to get out.

"That was my only net!" He cried

"There's one in my bag under the umbrella. Why don't we all take a break, eat some watermellon, and come back later."

They all agreed and headed back down. Haruhi slipped, even without her shoes, and Tamaki was there to catch her. The sand was hot and dry compared to the cold wet stone. They all sat on the towels that the staff had provided and huddled under the umbrella. Haruhi looked around. She hadn't even seen the staff. A gentle breeze kept them cool. Tamaki pulled the huge mellon out of her bag.

"How are we supposed to cut this? There's no knife only some towels, a solid board, and a quarter."

"I wanted to make a game to see who could figure it out first."

Kaoru picked up the watermelon.

"I'll try first."

To everyones' amusement, he began smacking the board against the melon. It didn't do a thing. He finally put it down, but he was red in the face and breathing hard.

"My turn." Hikaru said.

He did the opposite of his brother, by smashing the melon against the board. It had the same effect.

"I want to do it too." Honey took the melon and handed it to Mori.

Mori held it at arms length and Homey got in position to strike it.

"NO MARTIAL ARTS GUYS! USE THE TOOLS!"

Honey pouted and just handed the melon back to Haruhi.

"Do you all give up yet? Tamaki, you haven't tried yet."

"They took my ideas. I'm clueless."

Everyone laughed at the pun.

"You got that right."

Everyone jumped. Kyoya stood at the edge of the umbrella dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. The style didn't suit him.

"Um... Hi Kyoya. We were just about to open this watermelon." Haruhi said.

He sat down next to her," I can see that. I apologize for my tardiness. I had a couple of documents to fill out for my father. May I try to crack open the watermelon?"

"Sure."

He placed the board in front of him and the melon on top of it. With surgical precision he jammed the quarter into its flesh and went around the circumfrance with it. When he came to the place he had started, he stopped.

Tamaki asked," Is that it? It's not open yet."

"One second."

To everyone but Haruhi's suprise, he slammed his fiat on top of it. It split apart unevenly with a crack.

"That was amazing Kyoya. I didn't know that you knew martial arts." Said Honey.

"I don't. It was just simple physics."

They took turns scooping out chunks of watermelon to eat. When everyone had had their fill they went back to the tidal pools, this time with Haruhi's net.

Haruhi wasn't to fond of he creepy crawly things in the pools so she waited back near the mini cliffs. She was just admiring how the waves crashed against the stone but slowly drifted back, only to crash again when Kyoya walked up. She was still mesmerized when he cleared his throat and brought her out of her trance.

"The water is so blue." She whispered.

"Yea it is. I would make a cheesy pickup line about them being the color of your eyes, but your eyes are brown. But they're a nice brown."

"Thanks."

"I don't like the beach much. There's too much sun and tan lines are unproffesional. Do you like the beach?"

"I... Yeah I guess I do."

"You hesitated. What's wrong?"

"I'm... I don't like water."

"That's alright. You don't have to get in... I only came because I knew you'd be here."

"..." She chanced a glance at him. He was staring at her intensley through his glasses.

"There's something about you Haruhi that just makes me want to tell you everything."

"I..."

"Would you pick me Haruhi? Over them I mean. Would you date me over any of them?"

"What..."

"Nevermind. Forget I said anything. I was just... I don't know." He walked away before she could get a word out.

"Kyoya wait." She tried to follow, but like before she slipped on the wet stone. Her feet went backwards and she went down with them. Her body slipped backwards and her head smacked the stone. Everything was a blur and the only thing that registered was a girl's piercing scream as Haruhi fell into the water below. This time, no one was there to catch her.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	15. Chapter 15

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host club.

* * *

Ch.15

The water was shockingly cold compared to earlier. Whatever fight Haruhi might have had in her was quickly diminishing. She did not know how to swim. No matter what she did, she could not propel herself in any direction. Hitting her head was already disorienting enough, but then the waves and currents crushed her against the rocky wall and pulled her away. This was same spectacle that she had been admiring earlier. It's funny how some of the most beautiful things are the most deadly. She couldn't tell what was up and what was down. She tried kicking her legs and moving her arms, like she had seen so many other people do, but it didn't work for her. Actually, Haruhi thought she was being dragged deeper. Her cover-up felt like a weighted jacket and there was no way to get out of it.

Shortly after falling in, a pressure began to build in her chest. Her instincts wanted her to breathe, but she knew she couldn't. She tried screaming for help, but there was only the sound of her muffled voice carried away by tiny bubbles. The burning and pressure became unbearable. Panicking, she thrashed as hard as she could with her limbs, but she kept sinking. She had to breathe. Water filled her nose and went down her throat. Whatever bubble of hope she still clung to, burst. Everything began fading to black. Her limbs went numb. Weakness, lack of oxygen, and exhaustion overtook her. The last thing she saw was a dark shape diving into the water far above her.

* * *

Mori dove into the water the second they all realized what had happened to Haruhi. The guys had crowded around the ledge to wait for her to resurface, but she didn't. He, besides honey, was probably the only one who could battle those waves and currents. The second he had been submerged, currents and waves tried to drag him towards the wall or down. Luckily, he was a strong enough swimmer to fight them. He spotted Haruhi at least 15 feet below him. She floated like a goddess in the deep blue water, her hair fanned out around her and her face tilted toward the surface, one arm reaching up. Even when drowning, she was beautiful. Ever so slowly, she drifted down. The only things to demonstrate that this was a macabre sight were that no bubbles escaped her mouth or nose and her limbs did not move. Her eyes were wide open, unblinking, scared and a small gash bled on her right temple.

Mori finally got down to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and tried to carry them both back up, but he couldn't do it. It took a precious second for him to realize that her cover up was dragging them down. The zipper was stuck. He couldn't get it off. He dug his nails into the fabric and pulled. Mori ripped a hole big enough for him to slide her out of. He couldn't help admiring her swim suit. No wonder Haruhi didn't want to be seen in it. She looked amazing. He was easily able to drag her upwards now. The only problem would be what they would do once they got to the surface.

Their heads broke the surface, but Haruhi's lulled sideways.

Mori spoke," Come on Haruhi. Wait just a little but longer."

Waves slapped against them and sprayed them. When Mori looked up, the guys were all staring over the edge looking worried. They were yelling something and pointing behind him. He turned around. A boat with flashing lights was anchored nearby. The two people on it were waving at him. He swam towards them. When they were close enough, a life preserver was thrown into the water. He grabbed on and let them drag both Haruhi and him in. Mori just realized how exhausted he was. Even with his training, this had been taxing. Once at the boat, he saw that the men were paramedics. They lifted Haruhi in first and he climbed in after. She was in good hands. The sky had become dark with thunder clouds and a fierce wind cut them like knives. With a crack of thunder, rain began pouring from the sky. Mori sat down hard on the deck and leaned against the railing. The two men went to work on Haruhi. Her lips were blue and her skin was pale. The cut on her head was still bleeding and she wasn't breathing. Her body was perfectly still and her eyes were wide open.

Mori thought,"Please don't let her be dead."

The paramedics performed CPR. Precious seconds passed by, then minutes. They were ready to give up. Mori crawled over to her and held her hand. She needed someone here who cared.

"Please Haruhi... You need to live. It's not right for you to die now. Don't leave us behind."

He barely knew her, yet he felt like he had known her for years. Tears began rolling down his cheeks, mixing with the sea water on his skin and the rain. Minutes later, The paramedics gave up.

One man closed her eyes for her and the other man looked at his watch," Time of death...,"

Mori pushed him out of the way and took over.

"Buddy, she's dead. Let her go."

"Shut the hell up!"

He tried CPR. He wasn't sure what he was doing, but he wanted to do something to save her. Part of his brain told him that he had done enough, but the other part said he hadn't done nearly enough. He wasn't bringing her home in a body bag. Ranka would never forgive them if she died. Mori wouldn't even be able to look at Ranka. He pressed his mouth against hers and breathed. He partially thought about how his lips had made contact with hers. The guys would be so jealous. He laughed but it came out bitterly. He tried again. This time something happened. To everyone's surprise, Haruhi's eyes snapped open. She shot up and vomited, mostly water. She gasped for air and coughed. Immediately, the paramedics went into action. Mori thought he heard a quiet,"Well i'll be damned." Haruhi was crying. More water drained from her mouth and the coughing and gasping didn't stop. Just as she had woken up, she passed out again... But she was alive.

* * *

Sorry if I get some od the descriptions wrong. I have never drowned before. Thanks for reading. Please review, follow and favorite.


	16. Chapter 16

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.16

When Haruhi opened her eyes, she was moving very fast or at least thought she was. She was wrapped tightly in a white blanket, but was still freezing. She faintly heard sirens and everything was white and blurry. Before she could begin processing anything, she passed out again. The second time she woke up someone was gently shaking her. A bright white light was shining in her eyes. The man holding the light was talking to her, but she couldn't understand him. She felt something on her face. Glancing down, she noticed that it was an oxygen mask. She tried to take a breath herself, but it hurt a lot. Someone was calling her name. Slowly, all sounds and sights became clearer. She was on a gurny being raced into a hospital. She could hear sirens and many people talking. Two doctors in blue scrubs ran next to her while the paramedics rolled the gurny. Someone was still calling her name.

"Haruhi! I'm so sorry. I didn't know what to do!" Tamaki was still standing in the entrance. Two people were trying to restrain him. After a while, he sank to his knees. The other host members were no where to be seen. She looked up at one of the doctors.

He glanced down at her,"You're okay now. You're alive. Stay with us Haruhi."

She tried to ask about her dad, but it came out as a croak/whisper.

"Don't try to talk. We need to take a look at your airways."

Soon she was wheeled into a room. The straps around her were unbuckled and someone lifted her onto the bed. Part of the blanket fell away and she was glad that she was still wearing her swimsuit. The second ahe was taken from the gurny and put on the bed she got a splitting headache. She couldn't help but scream. Tears ran down her cheeks. A doctor entered the small room and began inspecting her. Everytime she began to nod off, she was abruptly woken up.

"You have a serious concussion and you can't fall asleep, not yet. Come on Haruhi. You can stay awake just a little longer."

Something was placed in her nose and the tubs went around the back of her head. The mask was removed and a tube like thing was stuck down her throat. The pain was unbearable and she gagged. It was quickly removed and she leaned over the bed to throw up. Luckily a bucket was waiting for her. Then she was taken for x-rays and scans.

* * *

The next morning, Haruhi lay exhausted in the bed. That night, she had been repeatedly awakened by nurses because of her concussion, but a least the vomiting had stopped. She had been put in the ICU, but then she was moved to the regular floor as the sun rose. She had barely gotten any sleep and was not ready for the day. Just as she was drifting off again. Ranka ran into the room. He practically fell over her on the bed and showered her with hugs and kisses.

"Haruhi! Oh my baby girl! What happened? Haruhi! Oh my god. I was so worried! I didn't know what happened. It got dark. You didn't come home... No phone number...mthose boys!... Oh I'm going to kill them!"

When she spoke, it was a whisper, but it was enough though," Dad, it's okay. I'm fine."

He held her at arms length and looked her over," You are not okay. You drowned. I heard from a doctor that you were pronounced dead at the scene, but someone revived you. You were in the ICU just last night. No, this is not okay!"

She noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles around them. He was still wearing half of his makeup, which was a little smeared, and he hadn't shaved. His hair was a frizzy mess and the dress he was wearing looked like it was made of wrinkles. She would have laughed if the situation had been funny, but he was clearly worried.

"I'll be fine Dad. The doctors said I can leave either tonight or in the morning. Do you know where my friends are?"

"You friends! They're the ones who got you into this mess! They knew you couldn't swim but..."

"Dad! They didn't know I couldn't swim. I didn't tell them. They were so excited and I didn't want to ruin their fun."

Haruhi began coughed and it took a moment for it to stop.

"Do you know how I found out where you were?" He didn't wait for a reply," I tried calling you, but you didn't answer. I didn't have your friends' numbers so I went down to the school for records. It was hell trying to get those. Eventually, I did. I had to go to their house and speak to one of the kid's parents. They said you were at the Hitachiin private beach. I then drove out to speak to the Hitachiins. They gave me directions to the beach. When I got there it was dark and a couple of police officers were leaving. I stopped them to ask about you kids and they said that a little girl had drowned and was being taken to a hospital. I hoped to god that it wasn't you and went back home to check. You weren't there. I called every hospital looking for you and no one had seen you or heard of you. I then proceeded to drive to every hospital in the city looking for you and here I am."

"I'm so sorry Dad, but please don't be mad at the guys. I'm pretty sure Mori saved my life."

"I'm not mad, just tired and scared. I thought my baby girl, you, had died. I just couldn't lose you too." It was then that he broke down.

Haruhi leaned forward as best she could and hugged him.

"You will never lose me dad."

As they were pulling away all of the Host club walked in.

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Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	17. Chapter 17

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.17

Haruhi and Ranka looked over at the people standing in the doorway. You could say tried to look. The young men standing in the doorway were almost completely hidden behind gift baskets, stuffed animals, balloons and presents.

Haruhi rasped," Wow, is it my birthday?"

Tamaki walked all the way into the room and set the goodies on the counter under the window," Please don't talk Haruhi! Your throat must hurt so bad! I'm so sorry..."

The other guys had come in and done as Tamaki had.

Kyoya cut him off," She doesn't want your apologies Tamaki. We are all aware that it was an accident. You should... No we all should be apologizing to her father. Ranka, I offer you my deepest apologies. Your daughter was injured and almost killed because of our actions and I honestly regret not taking better care of her. My family will be paying for her medical bills and any other needed expenses. Again, with much sincerity, we beg your forgiveness." He bowed his head.

He sounded like a human business letter. The other hosts looked around at each other confused and then bowed their heads as well. Ranka glanced at Haruhi with an 'are they really serious' look. She nodded. Ranka winked. He planned on doing something mischievous.

"Boys!" Ranka boomed.

They looked up.

"You are to never see Haruhi again! What you did is unforgivable. You almost got my little girl killed. How could you not know that Haruhi didn't know know how to swim?! I swear, if this wasn't a semi public place, I would ring your necks. Don't worry about medical expenses. I'm sure our lawyers will have a lot of fun with this case. Lastly, Haruhi will not be coming back to Ouran High. I don't want her around you."

Haruhi covered her face, held her breath, and sniffed for dramatic effect. The end result made it appear that she was crying.

She could hear Honey's voice. He sounded hurt," But sir! You can't do that! It was an accident. Kyoya said so. We didn't mean for Haru-chan to get hurt. We love her."

Tamaki spoke next," Please don't do this Ranka! We need her. She means so much to us. Haruhi please tell him you want to stay!"

She continued to fake cry. What happened next was a shock to everyone.

Mori's voice, though deep and quiet, silenced everyone else's. He stood up to his full height,"Everyone please leave. Everyone, but Ranka."

Honey questioned," But Mori..."

"Go please. I promise to join you in a moment. I wish to speak to Ranka alone."

The other hosts exited the room, but not without a lot of huffing and puffing. Haruhi continued to lay on her side and stare at the opposite wall. Suddenly, something slammed hard into the wall, shaking the bed. Haruhi spun around. Mori had Ranka pinned against the wall by his shoulders. He seemed completely calm, but she knew that his insides were boiling.

When Mori spoke his voice was eerily quiet,"Ranka, I love Haruhi more than my own life. I did not jump off of a cliff and into the water to save her, just to let you take her away from me. I would go to the ends of the earth for her. I would KILL for her if she asked me to. You will not be taking her anywhere. I won't let it happen. I don't mean to hurt you, but I needed a way to make you listen."

Haruhi didn't realize it, but she had been holding the call button. Two security guards and a nurse ran into the room and peeled Mori off of Ranka. He willingly let himself be dragged away. Before he was completely out the door, Mori glanced back at Haruhi. The look on his face was enough. She didn't need the kind words that she had just heard from him. Ranka sighed and looked at Haruhi.

"I didn't know he... Any of them felt so strongly about you. I need to tell them the truth." He rushed from the room.

Haruhi sat alone now on the hospital bed curled into a ball. She didn't know what to feel. It was time that she reevaluate her feeling for her fellow hosts.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review follow and favorite. One week of school left and then a week of exams! In the summer, i'l be able to update everyday if not more than that! I'm not quite sure what to do with this story. Does anyone have any ideas?


	18. Chapter 18

I do not own ouran highschool host club.

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Ch.18

Ranka came back an hour later to talk to Haruhi. He had explained to her friends about the joke and had told them she had nothing to do with it. They were in complete disbelief and angry, but said that they would forgive him. Mori was another story. He had left as soon as he had been taken out of the room. The other hosts tried calling him, but he didn't answer his phone. The most shocking part was that he hadn't even contacted Honey. All the guys had left to search for him and left their well wishes to Haruhi.

It was almost four o'clock when Ranka left to get ready for work, leaving Haruhi alone at the hospital. She spent her time reading the random book left for her by a volunteer and watching movies she hadn't seen since she was eight. A nurse brought her dinner at six and that was all the company she had. Outside the window, the sky turned from a sunny yellow to a watercolor mix of pinks and purples to a navy blue to black. A doctor came in to tell her that she would be able to leave in the morning. Her door was left ajar and she could see the lights go dim around the nurse's station and the people leave.

As Haruhi made herself comfortable and leaned back against the pillows, the window suddenly became alight with lightning. Thunder quickly followed. She could hear the rain too. Jumping up from the bed, she stood in the middle of the room. More thunder shook her world. She didn't know what to do. Her heart was racing and she could hear it in her ears. She broke into a cold sweat as she searched for a way out. Yes, the door was ajar, but she couldn't figure out what to do. It was like someone had woven through her mind with cotton. She wanted to crawl under the bed, but if was too low. Her only option was the bathroom. Quickly, she sprinted into the tiny room and locked the door. She sunk to the floor against the door and covered her ears with her hands to block out the sound. There was a tiny window above the door that let light in from the room. She scrunched her eyes tight to avoid the lightning. This couldn't be happening. Ever since Haruhi was little, she had been absolutely terrified of thunder and lightning.

Haruhi screamed for someone to help her. Of course no one would hear her though. She was yelling through a thick wooden door and her voice was hoarse. Instead of more screaming, she just cried. Never had she felt so alone. At home, she would have ran into her father's room and climbed into the bed. If he had company she would just lay on the floor outside of his door. Now she was in the hospital alone, miles from anyone. She wished she had Honey here to make her laugh, Kyoya here to give her random facts about fear and the weather, Tamaki here to wipe away her tears and hold her, the twins to make her play a game to distract her and Mori... Mori to save her. She thought about the kiss with Tamaki and Kyoya. With Tamkai, it had been somewhat awkward and uncomfortable. With Kyoya, it had seemed forced and emotionless. Her date with Hikaru had went terribly and she hadn't even wanted to be there. Honey was too immature for her. He cared more about cake and bunnies than having a real relationship with a girl. The only one she had was Mori. Thinking about him dulled her fear, even if it was for a second. The door shook with another jolt of thunder. She cried out for help again. This time the door kept shaking. This was different than thunder. Timidly, Haruhi uncovered her ears. Someone was pounding on the door.

"Haruhi! Haruhi please open the door! Are you okay? Haruhi!"

Her breath hitched in her throat and a fresh wave of tears found their way onto her cheeks. She stood up, unlocked the door, and fell into the arms of the person on the other side.

She sobbed," Mori, you found me. I thought I was alone. The thunder... The lightning... I... I..."

"It's okay Haruhi. I'm here now. You're not alone. I won't leave you I promise. Look, the thunder and lightning has stopped."

He had her wrapped in a bear hug and held her head against his chest. She felt so fragile in his arms. He picked her up like a child and carried her to the bed where he tucked her in.

She wiped her eyes," I'm sorry I got tears on your shirt. I panicked and..."

"It's okay. I'm already soaked. I ran here. I couldn't leave on a bad note. Hey, I didn't know you were afraid of thunder and lightning."

"No one did. You didn't know I couldn't swim either. Unfortunately, I have a lot of little secrets, some I just don't know how to share with you guys."

"I understand and you don't have to share anything with me if you don't want to."

There was a moment of silence between them.

"Where did you go... This morning after you were taken away?"

"I went to the school and sat in the rose garden. It's really peaceful there."

"I know the feeling. When my dad... Nevermind."

"What did your dad do?"

"Nothing."

"Is this another secret?"

"Yeah and I'd rather not share."

"I won't pry then."

...

"Why didn't you contact the other hosts?"

"I wanted time to just think about you."

Just then a nurse came in to check on Haruhi. When she saw Mori she jumped.

"It's after visiting hours. Are you family?"

"Yes mam."

She watched him for a few seconds and then proceeded to run a couple checks. Her eyes never left him. When she was done, she quietly left the room, but not without glaring at Mori.

"You two keep it down. Other people are trying to sleep."

"Yes mam," They both said.

And she was gone.

"She clearly doesn't think you're related to me."

"Then why did she let me stay?"

"Maybe, she think's you're hot."

"Then why was she glaring?"

"She's jealous of us."

They both laughed at that.

Haruhi sighed and yawned. She couldn't help when her eyes started to droop. Mori got up and turned her lights out.

"Are you leaving?"

"Of course not. Like I said, I'm here for you."

He sat next to her on the bed and held her hand.

"I swear I've never heard you talk so much."

"I was just looking for the right person to talk to."

As she drifted into sleep she asked," Can I tell you one secret?"

"Sure Haruhi. What is it?"

"... I love you and I was wondering if you really felt the same way."

She didn't hear him say it back, but the feeling of his lips on hers was all of the justification she needed from him.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review follow and favorite. For those of you who were keeping tabs on what I've said in the past, I got an A on my science experiment/paper/project and I got into the musical and classes of my choice next year.


	19. Chapter 19

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.19

Haruhi woke with a start. Her body was covered in sweat, but she shivered. She had had a nightmare: _She was standing on the edge of the cliff. Not knowing why, she dived into the water. She couldn't swim and something began dragging her deeper and deeper. She suffocated. Everything went black. Suddenly, a bright burst of light had consumed her. Haruhi was standing on the edge of the cliff again, but she wasn't alone. A woman that looked eerily like her stood next to her watching the water. It was odd how slowly the waves moved. It resembled stop motion. The woman turned to her and smiled. It was a smile she had seen many times in pictures. This was her mom! She ran to hug her, but went right through her. Her mom held up her hand._

_"I'm sorry, but I can't touch you Haruhi and you can't touch me. I'm only here to tell you how much I love you and that I'm glad you survived. As much as I wanted you with me, I couldn't let you die under those circumstances. You've grown into a beautiful young woman. Just remember, i am always watching."_

_Before Haruhi could even open her mouth, her mom dove into the water. Haruhi longed to follow her, but knew that if she did, she would die. So, she just stood there watching the water. _Somehow, she was pulled from sleep. When her eyes opened, she was alone. She looked around the gently lit room for a sign, any sign that last night with Mori hadn't been a dream too. Her eyes finally settled on a card folded by the window. She climbed out out of the bed to get it. On the outside, it was a plain piece of card stock. On the inside, Mori had written her a letter:

_Dear Haruhi,_

_I had to leave for school, but I'll be back afterwards if you are still here. I hope you slept well. I love you and will be by your house tonight. See you then,_

_ Mori._

She smiled at the card and climbed back into bed. Just then, a doctor came into the room with a clipboard in hand.

"Fujioka Haruhi?" He smiled.

"Yes sir."

"You're being discharged my dear. Is someone here to pick you up?"

"Um no. I was going to take a cab."

"Good, good. Your paperwork is at the font desk. Get plenty of sleep and go to your regular doctor if anything with you feels off, okay?"

"Will do."

"You look kind of pale. How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. I promise."

He gave her a questioning look,"Well have a nice day."

With that, he left the room.

About an hour later, she checked out and took a cab home. It was only ten in the morning. When she walked through the front door the curtains were drawn.

"Dad! I'm home."

There was no response. She went and checked the rest of the house. He wasn't anywhere to be found. Settling in, she made herself breakfast. By the time she was done eating, it was 11 o'clock. Haruhi remembered that she hadn't showered in two days. She left her plate and went to run the hot water. She changed her mind and decided to take a bath instead. Making sure no one was home. She stripped in her room and ran into the bathroom. The air was hazy with steam. Slowly, she lowered herself into he tub. The water was just the right temperature to get rid of the grime. She laid back and rested her head on the edge if the tub. Now all she wanted was to sleep. Without realizing, she slipped farther and farther down until her chin was touching the surface. She closed her eyes and slipped all the way under the water, holding her breath. That is when something snapped in her brain. If Haruhi was able to describe it, she would say that it was like a flashback only much more vivid.

_Her falling off the cliff replayed in her head. She was drowning and breathing in water. It burned so bad. She woke up on the boat, wooden splinters digging into her exposed skin. Her chest hurt. Mori's lips were on hers. She couldn't stop retching. Everything was black again_.

How long had she been holding her breath? She didn't want to move, just lay under the water forever. At least here, she could prevent herself from drowning. She didn't need anyone to save her. She didn't want anyone to save her! When had she become this helpless little girl? When had she started depending on other people to take care of her? She would just stay where she was. Haruhi could take care of herself. Two hands gripped her shoulders and yanked her up from the water. She sputtered and gasped for breath. First she was angry, but that quickly faded to embarrassment. It only took a second for her to come to her senses. She was sitting in her bathtub completely naked and Takashi Morinozuka was less than a foot away from her holding her shoulders. He stared worriedly into her eyes and it almost felt like his grip tightened on her bare skin.

Haruhi whispered," Mori?"

"Haruhi."

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	20. Chapter 20

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.20

Haruhi didn't know what to say. A cool breeze from the open bathroom door brought her back to her senses. A warm flush crept up her neck and onto her face. She pulled her arms out of Mori's grasp and did her best to cover herself.

She screamed," What are you doing in here? Get out!"

She was sure that his face mirrored hers, embarrassment.

He quickly left the room and closed the door behind him. Haruhi grabbed a towel and dried off. It was then that she remembered her lack of clothes. She had gotten undressed in her bedroom. If she were to walk out there in a towel now, Mori would be able to see her from the living room or the kitchen. She sighed. Haruhi had no choice. She cracked the door open and peeked out. Mori was sitting at the table and staring at the ceiling. As fast as she could, Haruhi opened the door, raced down the hallway, and into her bedroom. It wasn't until she was closing the door that she heard Mori call her name. This was just great. They hadn't even had a date yet and he had already seen her naked. She changed into a pair of pajama pants and a tshirt and sat on the bed. The last thing she wanted to do was leave her room and confront Mori, but he had clearly came here for a reason and she couldn't stay in her room forever.

When she opened the door, Mori was right there waiting for her. She squealed and backed up.

Mori held up his hands," I just want to talk Haruhi..."

She didn't let him finished. She walked past him and down the hallway to the kitchen. He followed her.

Haruhi began cleaning up after her meal,"What are you doing here Mori?"

"I came to check on you. Can you tell me what you were doing in the tub?"

She didn't look at him," I was taking a bath."

"Is that what you call it! You had your face completely submerged in the water. You were 't moving. I didn't know what had happened!"

She threw the plate in the sink, turned around and crossed her arms," Why do you even care? I don't need anyone to save me or take care of me!"

She stormed past him and sat on the couch. Again, Mori followed her.

"What is this about Haruhi?" He sat next to her.

She swallowed hard,"It's nothing."

He gently grabbed her chin and turned her head so he could see her eyes. They were brimming with tears.

"Tell me Haruhi. Were you trying to... Kill yourself?"

"No, of course not! I was just... I don't know what I was doing." She scooted closer to him laid her head on his lap.

"I'm sorry I saw you naked. I came over to check on you during lunch and saw that someone was home. I called your name a couple times and you didn't answer. I saw steam coming from the bathroom and went to check on you. I... Thought you had drowned again and... I wasn't there to save you."

She almost laughed. He thought she had drowned in a bathtub," I don't care that you saw me naked, well I do but that's not the point. I don't want to be saved anymore. I don't want you or the other hosts to take care of me. I..."

"Where is this coming from?"

"I had a dream about my mom last night. It reminded me of the time after she died. I learned how to take care of myself. I had to. My dad moved from job to job and was a total wreck. I took care of us both. Then I met you guys and I somehow started depending on you. I tore down a lot of walls that I wish I hadn't."

"Haruhi?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad that you tore down those walls. I was able to see you for the first time, really see you for the first time, last night. I knew at that moment, that I wanted to get to know the real you... And I have."

Haruhi rolled over onto her back to look up at him," You know, I have never heard you talk so much!"

"I was saving my words for you."

" I call everyone by their first names except for you and Honey. Honey likes his nickname but I want to call you something other than Mori."

"Call me Takashi then."

"Alright Takashi. Shouldn't you be going back to school? Lunch will be over soon."

"I think I'll stay here for the rest of the day with you. I can make up my schoolwork later."

"Takashi?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	21. Chapter 21

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.21

Mori and Haruhi sat talking on the couch for another hour, then Mori asked," What do you do for fun?"

"Well, I go to the library and the park in my free time. They're both about three blocks from here."

"Would your dad mind if we went out together?"

"I don't think so. He likes you."

"Where is your dad?"

"He went to work last night. He should be home soon… unless he got another _job, _but he promised he wouldn't do that."

"Then let's go."

Mori waited by the door, still in his school uniform and Haruhi went to get dressed. She put on a pair of black jeans and a sweater. The weather was forever getting colder and she did not want to get sick. Together, they walked out of the apartment and made their way down to the library.

Mori looked up at the sky," The clouds are gathering. It might rain. Should we go back?"

"No. We'll be there before it starts raining. Doesn't Honey miss you."

"You forget that we are about the same age. He can survive without me for a couple of hours."

They continued walking. Halfway there, Mori silently reached down and held her hand in his. She blushed. This is what a healthy relationship should feel like. They arrived at the library five minutes later. It was a grand three story building with checkered tiled floors, red carpet, and marble pillars. A winding staircase in the middle of the room was surrounded by red stained glass paneling. Classical music drifted out of the speakers. Mori followed Haruhi up to the third floor. She walked toward the back of the floor, past the computer stations, past the desk, and even past the sitting areas.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see Takashi."

He smiled at her using his name. Haruhi stopped at the desk in the back of the room behind many book cases. A lady that looked at least 90 years old was hunched over a computer typing a letter per minute. She took one look at Haruhi and smiled a toothless smile. She nodded her head to the left and Haruhi grabbed Mori's hand and dragged him along behind her.

"What is all this?"

Haruhi shushed him. They stopped at a door that read V.I.P.

"I didn't know the library had a V.I.P. club?"

"Only the V. know about it."

She pulled out a key and went inside. It was like a series of music practice rooms. On both sides of a long hallway were 24 solid black doors. Each one had a name plaque. Haruhi went to the end of the hallway and got out another key. The door read, Fujioka Haruhi.

"We are allowed our own private reading and study rooms. Rent is a small fee, but it's worth it."

The room had a recliner, mini fridge, a table, an espresso machine, and a small microwave.

"This is amazing! I could actually live in here for a couple days."

"I know how you feel Takashi. I actually did once. I ran away from home and….. that's a story for another time. Did I tell you that this room is soundproof too?"

Mori sat down on the floor, leaving the recliner for Haruhi. He wanted to ask her about her running away, but didn't want to push her. She had already shared so much with him in just one day. There was a stack of books in the corner. They each picked one, forgetting all about their troubles.

Haruhi glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 5:30. Mori was asleep at her feet with a book over his face. She shook him awake. Together they put everything back in its place and left the room. As Haruhi was locking her door, Mori leaned over her and kissed her on the cheek.

"I had fun today."

"Really, all we did was sit in that little room and read for hours. You fell asleep."

"I just got to spend the day with you. That's all I need."

She turned around and hugged him. That hug slowly morphed into a kiss. Getting more into it, they leaned against the door. At that moment, they had forgotten where they were. All they knew was each other. They didn't even notice when a door opened five feet away. Kyoya came out of that room with a stack of books in his arms. The second he looked up, he saw two of his best friends, one of whom he'd had intense feelings for and a guy he'd known for years, making out. Mori's hands slowly crept over her body from her neck, to her back, to rest on her butt. He didn't know whether to run between them and push them apart or walk away and pretend that he hadn't seen them at all.

He decided to do the latter. Just as he was turning his back on them Haruhi called his name.

"Kyoya?"

He had no choice but to turn around," Hello Haruhi."

"Hi… How much did you see?"

"Oh, nothing at all. I just left my room."

Mori had Haruhi's lipstick on his lips.

"Have a nice day you two. We missed you in the club room today Mori. Also… That's a nice color on you."

He turned completely and left through the door at the end of the hallway. Haruhi looked at Mori. He looked solemn and slightly angry.

"Takashi?"

He didn't answer. Before she could question him again, he followed Kyoya and left her standing by her door alone. What just happened? Haruhi stood there for a second waiting for him to come back, but he didn't. She made sure the door was locked and ran after him. He was nowhere to be found in the main library.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite. I passed all of my exams!


	22. Chapter 22

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

CH.22

Haruhi jogged outside and paused just outside of the library. It was sprinkling and the windchill was just cool enough that it was beginning to feel like fall.

"Takashi!" Haruhi yelled.

She didn't get a response, though she did get a few strange looks from people passing by. Could he have really run that far that fast? She knew he could, but Kyoya couldn't and that's who Mori had been chasing. Haruhi knew that their relationship wasn't ready to go public. They had only gotten close last night. It had felt so much longer.

She stood there for a little while longer. When he didn't show, she began walking back to the apartment. He knew where to find her. The walk felt much longer alone. By the time Haruhi got back to the apartment, the drizzle had turned into full blown rain. At least there was no thunder or lightning. Sighing, she let herself in and closed the door behind her. The house was dark and obviously deserted. If her dad had come home sometime today, there was no sign of it. The dishes were still neatly stacked by the sink and his house shoes remained by the door. It wasn't uncommon for him to not come home, but she thought that was behind them. He had promised.

Haruhi flipped on the lights and began cooking. Whenever her dad did decide to come back, he would at least have something to eat waiting for him. The rain got heavier and drummed against the ceiling. The clock on the wall ticked each second away. Overall, the combination of the sounds was depressing. She left the stove and turned on the radio. Smooth jazz could always lift her spirits.

For dinner, she had made chicken noodle soup. It sat in a big pot on the stove reminding her that she was the only one here to eat it. She made herself a bowl and sat at the table alone to eat. The sky outside had faded from gray to black and the clock read nine o'clock. An idea came to her. She ran to the phone and called the bar where her dad worked. Either he would answer or the manager would.

Someone picked up on the third ring. Instantly, she knew it wasn't her dad. This person was apparently a heavy smoker because their voice was all croak," Hello, this is Ray's LGBTQ Bar and Lounge. How may I help you?"

" Um…. this is Haruhi Fujioka. I'm looking for my dad, Ranka. He hasn't been home since yesterday night."

"Oh sweetheart, it's good to hear from you again. You haven't called here in almost a year. Your dad did pick up another shift, but he left about 2am. I know what you're thinking and no, he didn't take anybody with him. I haven't seen him since. He didn't come in to work today either."

"Okay, thanks."

"How are you Haruhi? I heard that you were in the hospital."

"I'm fine. I have to go. Bye."

"Bye."

If he wasn't at work or with a "client", where was he? The soup probably tasted good, but her taste buds weren't working. Haruhi slowly released her spoon. What was the point of eating? She wasn't even hungry. What was the point of having a family sized table to eat at, when you would be the only one sitting at it? Never had she felt so alone and angry. How come everyone left her? Her mom left. Her dad left her for his job or whatever else he was doing, and her first ever boyfriend couldn't be around her for one day without running away from her. A crystal tear slid down her face and dropped from her chin, mixing with the yellow broth.

There was a solid knock on the door. At first she thought it was just a figment of her imagination. Being at home alone at night can sometimes mess with your mind. The knock sounded again, but was this time accompanied by her name. This must be real. Haruhi ran to the door. She threw it open, thinking it was her dad, but she only disappointed herself. It was Mori.

"What are you doing here?" Haruhi crossed her arms over her chest.

"I came to apologize for earlier. I….."

"You left me! I stood outside waiting for you."

"See that's the thing. I never left the building. I was talking to Kyoya on the first floor. When we were done, I went looking for you. When I didn't find you, I figured you had left. I didn't leave you. You left me."

She stood there staring at him. Mori released an almost unnoticeable shiver. If his shoulders hadn't moved, Haruhi wouldn't have noticed it. He was drenched from head to toe and his hair clung to his face.

Haruhi moved aside and softened her voice and posture," Come in Takashi. You're soaking wet."

He gave a little sigh and stepped through the threshold. There he stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

"I don't want to get your floor wet."

"It's okay. I can mop. Follow me and I'll get you some dry clothes."

They began walking down the hallway, Mori squishing behind her.

"Where's your dad?"

"How did you get here and why are you just now coming here?"

"You can't just answer my question with two questions."

"I just did," smiled Haruhi.

They entered Ranka's room. The curtains were drawn and the room was dark. Trying to turn on the bedside lamp, Haruhi knocked over three empty beer bottles. She also kicked a few that were on the floor. Haruhi didn't turn around. She didn't want to see what Mori was thinking, what he thought of her dad, what he thought of her family, what he thought of her. She carefully made her way to the closet and pulled out a button down shirt and jeans for him.

She turned to him and smiled," Strip."

"I guess it's your turn to see my body, huh?"


	23. Chapter 23

I do not own ouran Highschool Host club .

* * *

Ch.23

Haruhi watched as Mori peeled off his soaking wet shirt and pants. His skin glistened and beads of water dotted his shoulders when they dripped from his hair. Even his back had muscles. He put the shirt on and proceeded to button it up. Haruhi got a clear view of his abs for the first time. She could have traced every contour with the tips of her fingers. Once the shirt was buttoned, it strained against his chest, so he unbuttoned it and left it that way. He then slipped on the pants, his muscles rippling all the way down to the calves. The pants fit well, but were a little short and hovered at his ankles.

He finally met her eyes again,"Can I trouble you for a towel? My hair is still wet."

"Hang on I'll get you one."

She left the room. He hadn't said anything about the beer bottles or about her dad. When she returned with a towel, Mori was holding a few of the empty beer bottles. He set them on the dresser in little neat rows.

"What are you doing?"

"I was just picking these up off the floor. If someone were to step on them and they were to break, that person could be injured."

She gave him the towel," Let's go back to the kitchen."

He followed her and turned the lights off behind him. In the kitchen, the soup sat on the stove , now cold. Haruhi went to reheat it and Mori sat at the table drying his hair.

"Are you hungry? I made soup, but seeing as I'm the only one here I'd be happy to share."

"Haruhi?"

"I knew you were hungry. Do you want salt and pepper?"

"Haruhi?"

"What?"

"Where is your dad?"

"I don't know."

"Does this have anything to do with all the beer bottles I found in his room?"

Haruhi spun around and threw down the spoon," I know what you're thinking. Yes, my dad drinks, but he is not a drunk!"

"There were 15 beer bottles in his room. Most of them had been opened two days ago."

"What are you trying to say !?"

"I... I don't know. I'm just worries about you."

"You barely know me! Stop acting like I've revealed some huge secret to you . We only started dating yesterday!"

His voice was steady,"We only started dating yesterday, but I've known you since the beginning of the school year. That's when I fell in love with you."

Haruhi didn't know what to say. Every phrase that popped into her head sounded stupid . What was she supposed to say back to that? Instead of responding, she turned around and began stirring the soup. It was warm, just like her neck and cheeks. She began ladling it into a bowl. Some of the soup spilled over the rim of the spoon and onto her hand. Haruhi winced and practically dropped the bowl. Instantly, Mori was by her side inspecting her hands.

"You never answered my question. Why are you here Takashi?"

He went over to the sink and came back with a cold rag. Gently, he placed it on her hand," I'm here because I felt bad about what happened at the library. When I couldn't find you it worried me."

Why was he so good with words?

"Well don't be worried about me. I'm fine."

He stopped his coddling. He let her hold the rag herself and stepped back, putting his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him and he looked down at her. It was as if his eyes could see into her very soul.

"You are not fine. I know you aren't ready to tell me now, but I will find out what is hurting you."

Before Haruhi could do anything, Mori enfolded her in a huge bear hug. She hugged him back. It felt good to just have someone there. The hug lasted just a little longer. Hesitantly, Haruhi broke away and finished getting Mori the soup. They sat down at the table and she watched him eat. He ended up having two bowls. Halfway through his third one, someone knocked on the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?"

"No, just my dad. I wasn't even expecting you," She glanced at the clock. It read 10:30," Plus if he lost his key, he knows where the spare is."

Mori got up and walked to the door. He had trouble unlocking it but finally got it open. Haruhi saw his eyes get wide and his shoulders tense. When he stepped back from the doorway, two police officers stepped forward.

One of them was a huge man with a barrel chest and bald head. His uniform looked like it was one flex away from ripping at the seams.

When he spoke, his voice was unsurprisingly deep," Is this the Fujioka residence?"

Haruhi stood up. She couldn't hide the waver in her voice," Yes. I'm Haruhi Fujioka. What can I do for you?"

Police officers always made her think the worst.

The other officer was tall and gangly. He was almost as tall as Mori, but lacked the muscle.

When he spoke his voice was just as deep," We're here about your dad."

"What did he do?"

"He didn't do anything wrong. It's just... Your dad...

The big officer stepped in front of his partner. His voice was softer this time," Your dad is dead. He was killed in a car accident this morning around 3 a.m."

Haruhi didn't know what to do. She didn't want to move because that meant that time was still moving forward and that the officer had seriously just uttered that statement. She looked at everyone's faces. The scrawny cop's eyes were glistening. The big cop's face was stony and hard. Mori didn't have any expression. It was as if he were waiting for something .

The air stood still. The clock stopped ticking. The ran stopped pouring. The faces faded away. The room started spinning. And her heart stopped beating. She would not accept this. This was not happening. She would just go to bed and when she woke up in the morning, her dad would be there when she got ready for school. She would get dressed and ride her bike to school, where she would see the Hosts again and spend lunch with Takashi.

Haruhi went to take a step, but her legs collapsed underneath her and she tumbled into darkness.

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Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite. Sorry I haven't been able to update. My laptop stopped working completely and I can't afford a new one. Everything that does not use internet works though. I have many chapters typed up in Microsoft word but I have to retype everything on my phone because I can't send it through email.


	24. Chapter 24

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.24

When Haruhi came to, she was lying on the kitchen floor. Takashi was cradling her head. The dim light over the kitchen table seemed much brighter. Reality hit her like a ton of bricks. Ranka was dead. She would never see her dad again.

"Haruhi?"

She looked up into Mori's face. He looked worried, concerned. Tears flowed from her eyes without warning and a cry sprung from her throat. She sat up and was immediately wrapped in his embrace.

One of the police officers started talking,"Miss, we need you to come down to the morgue with us to identify the body. The man had identification on him, but the face didn't quite match. It was slightly disfigured. Maybe you can identify some personal markings on the body. Or you could just send your mother when she turns up."

Haruhi sobbed harder.

Mori yelled," Could you be any more insensitive?! She just lost her father, the only family she had left! Her mother died when she was young. Give us a minute!"

Haruhi could feel Mori shaking with rage. The burly cop stepped back and grunted. He did not like being spoken to in that manner. The scrawny one twitched and shuffled from foot to foot, clearly nervous.

Mori looked down at her, "Do you want to go down there?"

She could only nod. She was worried that if she opened her mouth, all that would escape would be screams. Slowly, she gathered her strength and stood. What she had wasn't enough. She leaned heavily on Mori. Right now she needed all of the support she could get. He held her up without the slightest reluctance. One of the cops opened and umbrella and walked them outside. A few people were standing under their awning watching them. An elderly lady patted Haruhi on the back as she walked by. Haruhi didn't even have the will to turn around and smile at her. These people didn't know what was going on. They didn't understand how Haruhi felt.

The police car stood out brightly against the dark chain fences and blackened windows of nearby houses. Everyone was inside sleeping and resting, probably relaxing with their families. Haruhi was outside in the cold rain, waiting to go identify the last of her family at the city morgue. How ironic that the worst things happen to the best people.

Mori and Haruhi sat shoulder to shoulder in the cold back seat of the police car as it made its way downtown. Haruhi turned toward Mori. His face flickered with shadows as they sped under street lamps. Even though she could barely see his eyes, she knew that he was looking at her.

"Takash?"

"Yes Haruhi?"

"... I'm scared."

He gently grabbed her head and leaned it onto his shoulder. He could tell that she had started crying again. Haruhi didn't have to say what she was scared of. He already knew. She didn't want to see his dead body that proved he was gone forever. She wanted to remember his smiling warm face, alive.

The car slowed and stopped outside of a small grey brick building. Mori peered out of the window. Even through the pouring rain, he could see a wrought iron fence circled the building. This place looked oddly out of place surrounded by flashy neon signs and skyscrapers. There were no visible widows and shrubbery grew wild and untamed at the building's base. A gold plaque was nailed to the door. It was as if the scrawny cop had read Mori's mind.

"This is the original city morgue. There have been a few historical renovations, but nothing major.

The cops got out of the car and one of them held the umbrella for the couple. Together they all walked to the building. The wrought iron gate creaked and rust fell from the hinges. Mori still heavily supported her. The inside of the building was much larger than they appeared. There multiple hallways branching out from the entrance. A man sat behind a glass window just in the entrance and nodded at them as they walked by. He handed the scrawny cop a pair of keys. Fluorescent lights illuminated their surroundings. The clicking and buzzing from the lights only added to her headache.

Together they made their way down the longest hallway to a door at the end. A huge window by the door showed an empty lot by the building. The rain had gotten heavier. The scrawny cop unlocked the door and yanked it open. The other side resembled basement stairs. The lights suddenly flickered on, just barely lighting the stairs. Carefully, they made their way down into the heart of the morgue. Halfway down the stairs a smell hit Haruhi's nose. It was a mix of chemicals and something else. Haruhi stumbled but Mori held her steady. The finally made it to the bottom. Rounding a corner, they came to a small room. Metal tables sat against the wall holding odd, scary instruments. Haruhi felt as if she were going to cry again but her eyes were so puffy and sore that it hurt.

The burly cop walked over to a wall of drawers Haruhi hadn't noticed. He traced his hands over the labels. He pulled out a drawer. Haruhi had never been to a morgue and it shocked her when the drawer kept going and a body lay covered on a metal table protruding from the wall. Slowly, she crept forward next to the cop. Mori's hand felt like it was burning a print into her back. She didn't want to uncover the body. She couldn't. She didn't want to see him like this. Haruhi turned away, tears pouring despite the pain it caused.

"You don't have to do this Haruhi," Mori whispered in her ear as he held her.

"I... I ha... have to."

"No you don't! Just tell me what to look for I can do it for you!"

She pushed away from him and marched over to the body. The head was toward the wall. Haruhi walked around the table and lifted the sheet where she knew his ribs were, where the tattoo of her and her mother's name were. Her face shattered. The expression became unreadable. Haruhi recovered the body and walked back to where Takashi stood with his arms open. She walked right past him. She walked past the cops. She walked around the corner, and she walked up the stairs. When the guys had finally ran up the stairs Haruhi was gone.

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Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	25. Chapter 25

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

Ch.25

* * *

**This chapter will be shorter. I just wanted to end this cliffhanger.**

* * *

Mori and the cops ran up the stairs when Haruhi didn't return. Mori was the first to reach the door. To his dismay, Haruhi was not on the other side of it waiting for him. The hallway was deserted. The same lights buzzed and flickered, the same tile shone under their feet, but Haruhi was nowhere to be seen. Where had she gone? The cops split up and and walked down various hallways and into rooms that she could have gone, leaving Mori with he guy behind the window. This wasn't like her. She didn't run from anything. Mori looked over at the guy. He was hunched over a small desk piled high with papers dotted with coffee, dollar store paper weights, nicknacks, multiple pens and pencils scattered here and there an outdated computer and keyboard missing a few keys, pictures of what looked to me family members and coffee rings on the white surface. He could have been about fifty but looked a little older. He was deeply concentrated trying to fill out forms.

"Excuse me, sir?"

The man didn't immediately look up, but when he did his eyes were glazed over and tired looking, but kind.

"How may I help you young man?"

"I'm looking for someone, a girl. Have you seen her. She has long brown hair and huge beautiful brown eyes."

"When and where did she die? She could be in the hospital morgue."

"NO NO. She's not dead. She was just here to see her father's body and she came up the stairs before us and disappeared."

The man was a little confused at first but he caught on,"Oh I think I heard her leave about two minutes ago. I didn't see her though."

"Thank you."

Mori dashed out of the front door. It was just as dark outside as it had been when they entered, only now, the rain had stopped. Mori bounded down the steps, through the gate and onto the sidewalk in just a few strides. He looked up and down the dark, deserted street. The wasn't a person in sight. She couldn't have gone far.

"Haruhi!" He called.

There was no response so he called her again. Behind him, the two officers came out of the building.

"Did you find her?"The burly cop asked.

Mori spun around his face pinched with anger," What does it look like? You never should have brought her here!"

"Don't go raising your voice at me. I was only doing my job. It was your girlfriend who decided to run away!"

Mori balled his fists.

"Oh you want to hit me punk! Go ahead. I can arrest you for assault on an officer. You forget. I'm a cop!"

The gangly officer stepped in between them," Both of you stop it. We can just get in the car and drive around the block. She couldn't have gone that far on foot and cabs don't come to this part of town."

Mori glared at the other officer one last time before walking back to the cop car. He knew which battles to fight. It wasn't until he opened the door that he saw her. Haruhi was slumped against the window with her hair falling over her face. The two cops climbed into the front seats and saw her as well.

"She's been here the whole time?" The scrawny cop asked.

"I guess so," said the burly cop.

Haruhi spoke. Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper," I can hear you. I'm not deaf."

Mori sat down and closed the door behind him.

"We're taking you back home. Social services will be at your house sometime tomorrow," said the scrawny cop," I'm sorry about your father."

She didn't answer him. Sometime during the ride. Mori reached over to rub her head, but Haruhi grabbed his hand instead. He could just see through her hair. Her eyes were the size of saucers. They seemed to big for her face.

"Har..."

Haruhi mumbled something.

"What was that?"

Her voice was barely audible," It wasn't him, Takashi."

It his turn to be stunned.

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Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	26. Chapter 26

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.26

Haruhi, Takashi, and the officers all returned to her small apartment. After a long conversation about her father and a few phone calls to social services, they departed and left the couple alone. She disappeared into her father's room for a while and Takashi was just getting comfortable on the couch when she returned. Looking her over once, something about her had changed, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Haruhi sat on the couch next to Mori feeling completely drained. It had been a long night. Technically, night was over. It was almost 2 a.m.

"Takashi, I think you should go home. You still have to go to school and the hosts will miss you."

"What I need to do is be right here with you. School can wait. Don't you have to go to school too?"

"No. I sent in some forms for homeschooling. I've been studying on my own."

...

"Haruhi?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry they don't know where your dad is. It's not very often that a grown man goes missing."

"It's alright. He dresses like a woman a lot. If he was kidnapped... "

She suddenly stopped talking. What happened next surprised him. Haruhi laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm just imagining some huge guy grabbing Ranka and later realizing that it was a dude," her laughter quickly fizzled," but I can't help feeling that something worse has happened."

"Well we already went to the morgue and that body they found was definitely not your father."

"That doesn't mean that he's not rotting in a gutter somewhere or an alley.

"I..."

"Look at us! We're sitting here discussing whether Ranka was kidnapped or rotting in an alley like it's Sunday tea and we're little old women!"

Haruhi jumped up and strolled over to the stove, swinging her hips dramatically. She grabbed the tea kettle and turned around pouting and lowering her head,"Would you like some tea Takashi?"

"What?"

"Would you like some _tea?_"

"Um, sure Haruhi?"

She gave him a huge smile and grabbed two mugs out of the cabinet, pouring the contents of the kettle in them. With new energy she came back to the couch and handed him a mug. He looked down into it. She had given him nothing more than water. Confused, he took a sip. Yep it was definitely cold water. Haruhi hadn't even raised hers to her lips.

"This is water," It came out more as a question than a statement.

Haruhi's smile turned upside down. Her whole face contorted and she dissolved into tears.

"I didn't..."

"I knew you wouldn't like it!"

"It's... are you alright, you're acting extremely weird right now."

Haruhi drank the whole mug of water and some of Takashi's too," I'm fine. Why do you keep asking me?"

She suddenly stopped crying and got up from the couch. Without saying anything she disappeared down the hallway for the third time that night. Mori was thinking about what to do about Haruhi when he heard a loud thud. Immediately thinking something was wrong, he hurried to where he heard the sound. The only room with a door open was Haruhi's. The room was dark except for a shaft of light from the hallway. In that shaft of light, Haruhi lay on the floor,out cold with a spilled nearly empty bottle of beer next to her.

* * *

The only thing she knew was that her head hurt. It hurt a lot. She slowly opened her eyes. Haruhi didn't even remember going to bed. The room was extremely dark almost pitch black. Instantly, she knew that this was not her house. The room was entirely too big. Suddenly, her mouth became extremely wet. That only meant one thing. There was no time to get out of bed. Haruhi lurched over the side of the bed and emptied the contents of her stomach. She was surprised to see a bucket right next to the bed. As her eyes adjusted she sat a glass of water, two ibuprofen, and a protein bar on the nightstand. It's like whoever arranged this knew exactly what would happen when she woke up. Who had arranged this and where was she?

Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	27. Chapter 27

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.27

The events of the night before were extremely hazy. She remembered going to the morgue to identify her father's body and not finding him. Then she remembered going back to her house with Mori, but after that it was all a blur. The headache weakened once the medicine dissolved in her stomach and she had eaten the protein bar. The light from the break in the drapes still hurt her eyes, but it wasn't as bad. The room wasn't as dark as she had originally thought. She lay in a four poster bed with shear hangings all around her. Through the hangings she saw, on the opposite wall, a large vanity and stool. Next to it was a full sized mirror. A bookshelf took up an entire wall and was crammed with books. A fireplace roared with new fire. Two doors unmarked stood closed on opposite walls. It was almost like she had woken up as a princess. Inside she knew that she was not a princess and this was not her home. She had to leave. As she sat up, the covers fell off. These were not her clothes. She was wearing a soft white night gown with puffy sleeves.

Someone had undressed her! Angry, she swung her legs over the bed and through the hangings. Just as she had stood and placed her feet on the plush carpeted floor, one of the two doors swung open. A young woman in a stiff blue dress and apron appeared.

"Oh, Miss Fujioka, you are awake. The master of the house wants to see you. You must get dressed first."

The lady crossed the room, grabbed her arm, and led her to the other door. She produced an old fashioned key and unlocked the door. When the light switch was flipped, the sight stunned Haruhi. It was a walk-in closet. The room went back about twenty feet. On one wall were multiple racks of dresses. There were shelves stacked with jeans, shorts, and skirts. Shirts appeared from open drawers. Jackets hung on the other wall. The whole back wall was stacked with shoe boxes. It was like a store in that room and everything was free.

The woman grabbed a pair of jeans, and a nice sweater for her to put on.

"Why..."

"No, no,no,... no questions yet. You can address those with my boss later. Right now you have to get dressed."

The woman followed Haruhi back into the bedroom room.

"I'll leave you alone here and be back in about ten minutes. Would you like the drapes open, dear?

"Um, yes please."

She strode over to the window and yanked open the floor length fabric. Haruhi had to squint. The son completely illuminated the dark room. In front of her was near floor to ceiling length windows. Outside, there was a huge yard. Every inch of the yard seemed to be decorated with plants. Paths cut through the beds were bordered by pearl like stones. Beyond the gardens, an orchard stretched for miles. Clearly, this was not the first floor. When Haruhi finally turned back around, the woman was gone. Haruhi began undressing and put on the clothes given to her. Strangely enough, they fit her perfectly. She walked over to the vanity. On it sat a silver hairbrush, makeup, and a large jewelry box. Haruhi glanced in the mirror. Her hair was a bird's nest and there were bags under her eyes.

She contemplated using the brush. It looked antique and beautiful. There wasn't a hair in it. Nervously, she picked it up just to feel the weight of it in her hands. It was slightly weighted, but comfortable. Slowly she adjusted it and placed it at her crown, pulling down steadily. It felt amazing. Who knew she'd actually enjoyed sitting in front of a vanity brushing hair? It was like this room and everything in it was designed especially for her. So this is what it felt like to be rich. The lady walked back in as Haruhi was still brushing her hair. It had long since been untangled and smoothed even, but she hadn't noticed.

"Oh, I see you like the brush. He said you would. Now come with me please."

"Wait! You still haven't told me anything."

"He wanted to explain everything himself."

"I want to know something!"

"Sweetheart, I know you're tired, nervous, and even a little scared, but I assure you, you are in not danger here."

Haruhi sighed," Fine."

Together, the two women left the bedroom. The hallway was almost just as beautiful as the room. Expensive looking carpet covered every inch of the floor. It was a deep, navy blue, almost black and matched the eggshell walls perfectly. Large gold framed pictures of men in uniforms, women in large puffy dresses, and children playing with angels covered most of the wall as far as she could see. Tapestries of beasts and beings alike filled in the empty space. Above them crystal chandeliers sparkled, newly polished.

"This is amazing," Haruhi whispered in awe.

"I think so too. The pictures can get creepy sometimes when you clean them though. The eyes follow you."

"I guess," Haruhi laughed," Um, is there a bathroom? I really have to pee."

"Oh right. I forgot. Follow me."

They continued down the hallway, passing many closed doors. Haruhi wondered what was behind them. They came upon a grand staircase carpeted just like the hallway. The banister was carved like creeping ivy. Halfway down the stairs, the crapet began its gradation to sky blue. At the bottom of the stairs, Haruhi was met with white tile. Just next to the stairs was a bathroom. She raced inside and closed the door, not realizing how full her bladder was.

The real problem came when she tried to wash her hands. This bathroom was decorated in shades of blue. The knobs of the sink had little dolphins on them that spun when you turned on the water. Just as she turned on the hot and cold. The faucet began gushing out water into the shallow bowl. It wasn't deep enough for the amount of water that came rushing out at one time and the pressure, so it was almost instantly overflowing. Haruhi tried to stop it. Panicking she twisted the knobs the opposite way, but it did nothing. If anything, the water came harder. Suddenly, the right knob came off in her hands and she screamed. A fountain of water shot up into the air. It began emptying gallons all over her, the floor, and the walls. She thought she heard someone call her name on the other side of the door. Nearly hyperventelating now, and sweating like a sinner in church, she locked the door. Taking off her sweater and pulling the towels off the rack, Haruhi tried to mop up some of the water. The sink still overflowed. She heard someone pounding on the door. They were definately calling her name.

The person began either kicking the door or slamming their body into it. She couldn't tell, but they were definately using a lot of force. She would be in so much trouble. She couldn't afford anything in this house, let alone anything in the bathroom. She probably couldn't even afford the towels.

She heard something splinter and crack. Just as she looked up, the door flew open, smacking her in the face.

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Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	28. Chapter 28

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.28

"Why does everything bad always happen to me?" Haruhi thought as she sat on the couch holding a rag to her nose.

"You don't know how sorry I am," Mori said as he paced.

They were situated in a sitting room, bigger than Haruhi's bedroom at the apartment. The scheme in this room were mostly white and floral patterns. Everything was so pristine that Haruhi was more scared of getting blood on the furniture or carpet than the actual pain.

"Can you just tell me why I'm here?"

"You were drunk and passed out last night. I didn't want you to stay there alone so I brought you to my place. And don't worry, Gwen was the one who undressed you," he gestured at the woman who had been with Haruhi all morning and was now wringing her hands in the corner.

"Thanks. I was so overwhelmed. I guess I'm turning into my dad."

Mori sat on the couch next to her,"No you're not. Speaking of your dad, I think I tracked him down. I stayed up most of the night going through hospital records Kyoya gave me."

"Hospital records?"

"Yeah."

"He's not... He's not dead is he?"

"I'll let you see for yourself later. For now you need to eat."

He turned to Gwen," You're dismissed and thank you. I'm sure you've had a rough time with this one."

"Thank you Mr. Morinozuka," she bowed and left.

Mori removed the rag from Haruhi's nose. The blood had stopped. Gently he touched the bridge of her nose and around it.

"It's not broken, but bruised."

Haruhi winced and he took his hands away.

"Also, I talked to a social worker this morning. You're going to be staying here for a while and you have to go back to school."

"I haven't seen the other hosts since the beach accident. Do you think they would still let me back in the club room?"

"Why wouldn't they?"

"I don't know..."

"They've been wanting to see you and when they found out you were staying here. They rushed over to see you, but it was late and I turned them away."

"I guess that's nice of them, but I don't deserve such kindness. I completely stopped talking to them after the beach. What's going to happen to my apartment?"

"One of the Hitachiins' cousins is coming to visit and needs a place to stay. They will live there while you're gone."

He saw the look of concern on her face.

"Don't worry they've already signed an agreement that they wont touch or mess with anything in the house and will pay the rent. I have a meeting with your land lady today. Let's go get breakfast."

Still weary and a little lightheaded she followed him out of the room.

"Where are your parents and why did the la... I mean Gwen call you Mr. Morinozuka?"

"My parents are still on vacation and technically now I'm the master of the house."

They arrived at a grand dining room. In the center of the room was a table with room for sixteen people. On either ends a place was set for the two.

They took their places on either end of the table. Two young women dress just like Gwen came out of another door and served them eggs and toast. They ate in silence.

"Takashi?"

She realized that she had to yell just for him to hear her at the other end of the table. Not knowing if she was breaking etiquette, she picked up her plate and went to sit next to him.

"I don't know if I can stay here."

"Why? I thought you'd be happy here with me. That's why I arranged this."

"I would be glad to be with you, but we haven't even been together two weeks and I think we're moving too fast. This house is much too big for me. After all, you're almost an adult and... I still feel like a kid."

He slammed down his silverware, "God, Haruhi! Can't you just accept the fact that I love you? It's not like we're getting married. All I wanted to do was make sure you were safe!"

Without another word, he got up and walked out of the room. What was with the sudden personality flip? Gwen rushed back in the room.

"Is everything alright in here?"

"Yes, I just said something that upset Takashi a bit. Aren't you supposed to take the day off?"

"I could if I wished to, but I don't. Would you like a second serving?"

"No thanks. What I really want is a shower."

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite. Sorry, I've been gone for so long for you faithful followers. I started school and there is so much homework during the week and on the weekends. I've already broken down at least twice over it. There is just no time to write anymore. I'll try to do better. The chapters won't be as long.


	29. Chapter 29

I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

Ch.29

* * *

When Haruhi finally left the shower, Gwen told her that Takashi was waiting in the car for her.

"Why? Where are we going?"

"He told me not to tell you. I'm sorry."

"I just told him how he made me feel and he goes off and does it again!"

She redressed and hurried to get in the car. When she arrived, Mori was reclined in the back seat behind the driver on the phone. He hung up when he saw her and scooted over as she climbed in. The engine started and they were off.

"Where are we going Takashi?"

"You'll see when we get there."

...

"I'm sorry I walked out on you earlier."

"Don't worry about it. I've already forgiven you."

She hadn't but she wasn't going to tell him that. They rode for at least a half hour through the city. She longed to say something else to him, but didn't know how it would come out or how he would react. Sooner than later, they pulled up in front of a hospital.

"What are we doing here Takashi?"

...

The door was opened and he dragged her behind him by her hand. Like a child. They entered the building and went directly to the elevators. Once inside, he let go and pressed the button for the fourth floor. It was as if he had been here before now. They went up and up until they stopped and the doors opened. This was one of the intensive care floors.

"Please Takshi, tell me who we are going to see."

...

She had her suspicions.

They walked down a couple hallways, her following in his shadow. Finally, they stopped in front of a closed door.

Her voice quivered," This is the last time I am going to ask you Takashi, who is in this room!"

"Keep your voice down Haruhi."

He pushed open the door and stepped aside. It was stark white and sterile in every way. The smell made her nauseous. In the back corner, a body lay completely bandaged under the covers and hooked up to every imaginable machine. The only thing not white was the familiar red hair peeking from underneath the bandages.

Haruhi's voice was little more than a whisper," Dad?"

She crept toward the bed as if she would startle him. It was in fact her father. She sat on the edge of the bed and barely touched his leg.

Without turning around she asked," If you knew... Why didn't you tell me?"

When no response came she stood up in a fury. Takashi was smiling.

Her voice was venomous, "Take that stupid smile off of your face. I am not happy to see him this way. This is not something you can just surprise someone with! You knew where he was and you kept this from me." The tears started flowing.

"Keep your voice down Haruhi. I just wanted you to stop worrying..."

"You just wanted me to stop worrying! This was my father. He was the only family I had."

She launched herself at him and hit him as hard as she could. He grabbed her wrists with ease.

"The last thing he said was that I needed to look after you. I consider this looking after you."

"How would you know what he said!"

"Before he went missing, he arranged for you to come stay with me. He didn't tell me why and then he just disappeared."

She stopped fighting him and Takashi pulled her close.

Haruhi sniffled," I will never trust you again Morinozuka."

She pushed away from him and ran from the room.

He slumped against the wall. She had called him by his last name. All he wanted was to take care of her.

* * *

It feels so good to be back! Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	30. Chapter 30

I don't own Ouran Highschool Host Club.

* * *

Ch.30

It was later in the car the Haruhi was able to piece together what had happened. She had spoken to Ranka's doctor and called the bar. After getting his paycheck, Ranka had been mugged on his way home and had chased the guy down. She didn't have to ask why he'd done it. He, like her, hated depending on people and wanted to pay for the rest of Haruhi's hospital bills himself. They also needed to buy more food and pay a couple bills. The guy that Ranka had been chasing ran into traffic and he followed. A car had tried to stop and slammed into both of them. Ranka had went through the windshield and the other guy was pinned under the car and killed. Because he had Ranka's wallet, they thought it was Ranka. No one was able to give a definite recovery time, but it looked like it would take months. She had to stay with Takashi.

Neither would look at each other on the way back to Morinozuka manor. Haruhi ground her teeth and clenched her fists in fury. How dare he! Takashi glanced over at her, but held his tounge. If he said anything now she'd probably rip his head off. The ride was quickly over. The car crunched up the gravel driveway and had barely stopped before Haruhi jumped out. She stormed to the door and left him in the car. When he finally entered the house, she had disappeared.

"Haruhi?" He yelled.

She didn't answer. Gwen bustled from a room down the hall.

"Mr. Morinozuka, welcome home."

"Thank you Gwen. Where did Haruhi go? I need to speak to her."

"She went back to her room. She was rather upset actually."

He took off down the hall and up the stairs after her. When he got to her room, the door was locked. He had a master key to every room in the house. He knew that this was an invasion of her privacy, but he couldn't stand the guilt that he felt from hurting her. He put the key in the lock and turned slowly. The door clicked open and he entered. Haruhi was standing by the window with her arms folded across her chest and her back to him.

"Haruhi please forgive me. I thought I was helping you."

...

He got a little closer," At least turn around and look at me."

...

He was now directly behind her," I..."

"I hate you Mori. Please leave me alone."

He rested his hand on her shoulder.

Her words were venomous, "Don't touch me!"

He lifted his hand but put it back. He needed to touch her.

Haruhi spun around and shoved him away," I said don't touch me!"

She ran from the room. He wanted to follow her, but the best thing would be to let her go. She needed time to process things. He didn't see her at dinner, so he had Gwen bring her dinner to her room. They had school the next day and he hoped that she would be willing to see him in the morning.

Mori woke up to his alarm clock as usual and began getting ready. He hoped that Haruhi would at least look at him today. Breakfast was waiting at the table, but there was only one place set.

"Where is Haruhi's place?"

"I'm sorry sir. She requested breakfast in her room."

"That's alright. Make sure she is ready for school."

"Yes, sir."

He finished his breakfast, grabbed his things, and got in the car. A few minutes later Haruhi climbed in the other side. She looked at him, but she didn't say anything. They rode in silence.

Mori slightly turned his body toward her,"Can you just answer one question for me?"

...

"Do you still love me?"

"Maybe I should have chosen Tamaki or Kyoya over you."

Her words stung. He stopped trying to communicate with her. If she really felt that way, she didn't need him. They arrived at school and Haruhi left him. She was instantly surrounded by guys and girls that she had hosted in the past. She was taken away by her crowd and he went to the club room. The other hosts were sitting around a table talking. They had heard of Haruhi and Takashi's situation.

Honey seemed cheerful," Mori! Where's Haru-chan?"

"Off with her adoring crowd," Mori frowned.

Hikaru sneered,"Why are you so bitter? You should be elated. You have Haruhi all to yourself every day... and night."

"Shut the hell up Hikaru!"

"Don't talk to my brother like that," Kaoru yelled across the table.

Tamaki looked around worriedly," Can we all just calm down for a second. What happened Mori? This isn't you."

"Haruhi hates me. You know about her dad, right? Well I thought it would be a nice surprise to show her that I had found him and that he was alive. It didn't turn out the way I planned. She said that she hated me and would rather have you or Kyoya."

Kyoya sat back in his chair. He couldn't suppress his jealousy," Good. You don't deserve her."

Takashi rose from his chair and tackled Kyoya.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


	31. Chapter 31

I do not own Ouran High School Host Club.

Ch.31

* * *

It took the whole club, but mostly Honey to pull Mori off of Kyoya. The chair had shattered under Kyoya with the force of the impact and splinters of wood littered the floor.

Honey stood between the two with his hands on his hips,"What did I say! A while ago you all were fighting over Haru-chan and you agreed to stop. Now you're doing it again! What's wrong with you? I thought we all were supposed to be friends!"

Tears were welling in his eyes. Kyoya and Mori both relaxed. The worst thing that you could do was make Honey cry. Kyoya got off of the floor and walked toward Mori. Hikaru left his brothers side and joined them.

Kyoya spoke," I'm sorry Takashi. I was way out of line. She chose you for a reason. I just need to get rid of the idea of a relationship with her. She's just so special..."

"I know the feeling," Mori smiled.

"I'm sorry too," said Hikaru," I never should have jumped on that bandwagon. I never had a chance. I was trying to force myself into her life and she clearly didn't want that."

Honey smiled," See, we don't need to fight. We just need to talk. I would recommend another retreat, but we know what happened last time."

Everyone laughed. Tamaki got to work sweeping up the pieces of the chair," Okay everyone. Remember, we are hosting today so be here promptly at lunch."

The bell rang for the day to get started and everyone headed to their classrooms. The day flew by and lunch was quickly upon them. Girls filled the music room as they took their places. Mori saw Haruhi enter the room still surrounded by a crowd, but something was wrong. She was smiling, but it was empty. She sat in her area and was instantly swarmed by boys and girls. They kept messing with her hair or trying to grab her hands. She would brush them away, but they always came back. Mori overheard some of their questions.

"You were gone so long. Where were you?

"We're you on vacation?"

"I heard that you're living with Takashi Morinozuka now. Is that true?"

"Why aren't you at home with your dad?"

"Where's your dad?"

"What happened to your dad?"

"Is he dead?"

He watched Haruhi burst into tears. Her guests didn't know what to do. Some tried to hug her or hold her and others backed away. That was enough. Mori got up from his chair, completely ignoring the girls around him. He parted Haruhi's crowd and pulled her away from them and into the hallway.

She covered her face and wouldn't look at him,"Maybe I'm not ready to be host again. Maybe I'm not ready to be back at school. All they did was ask about my dad and me living with you. They didn't care a thing about me."

"They are just insensitive jerks. All they care about us gossip. I'm sorry that I let you go with them this morning."

"It's my fault. I just wanted to make you angry. I shouldn't have done that... Or said what I said."

"I forgive you, but promise me that you'll talk to me instead of keeping everything to yourself,"

He pulled her hands from her face," promise me."

"I promise."

"Now, I think you should go and relax instead of hosting for the rest of lunch. I'll meet you at the car at the end of the day and then we can go home."

"That's a good idea. I'll see you later Takashi."

She took off walking down the hall and Mori entered the room. Her guests were still waiting awkwardly at her station.

"You all can leave now. She won't be coming back today."

Groaning and moaning they got up and left. As lunch was ending, the other guests left too. The hosts joined together at the center of the room.

"Where's Haruhi?" Tamaki asked.

"She left. She wasn't feeling up to entertaining today. The questions were getting too personal," Mori said.

"Oh I see. Well when you see her again, tell her that we miss her."

"Will do."

Like he said, he met her at the car at the end of the day. They were nearly at the manor when Haruhi got a call on her phone.

"Is this miss Haruhi Fujioka?"

"Yes, may I ask who's calling?"

"I'm your father's doctor. He gave me quite a shock when I went to check on him today."

"Why? What happened?," she gasped, " please don't tell me it was something bad. I can't take anymore bad news."

Mori was looking worriedly at her now.

"No no, it's nothing bad. Actually, it's amazing, a miracle even."

"What!"

Mori asked," What's wrong Haruhi?"

She held up her hand to shush him.

"What is it doctor?"

"Your dad's awake and breathing on his own though labored."

She dropped the phone," Driver! Take us to the hospital right now!"

"Which hospital?"

"Just go!"

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review follow and favorite. Let me know if the story is still flowing or if you think I should end it soon.


	32. Chapter 32

I do not own Ouran High school Host Club.

Ch.32

* * *

The doctor was right. Haruhi entered the room with Mori on her heels. Ranka was lying prone on the bed with less bandages on his body. He had a mask on his face to help him breathe, but he _was _breathing on his own. His eyes were closed though so she couldn't tell if he was awake. She approached the bed cautiously as not to wake him. When she was barely three feet away, he opened his eyes. They were watery slits in the swollen pockets.

"Haruhi?" he wheezed.

She hurried to his side," I'm here dad."

It took a second for him to form more words," You with Takashi?"

"Yes dad. I'm with Takashi. He's taking good care of me," tears welled in Haruhi's eyes.

"Good. No crying. Be strong"

His heart rate rose enough for a nurse to come in and check on him.

"Alright kids, he needs his rest and all this talking makes it harder for him to breathe. We want him to get better so, why don't you come and visit him tomorrow?"

Mori answered for her," We'll be back tomorrow," he grabbed her hand," Let's go Haruhi."

"What are..."

He gently pulled her from the room. She took her hand back in the hallway.

"What was that for!"

"If you didn't leave like they asked, they might not let you come back until he's a lot better. I could see it in the nurse's face. She sounded sweet, but she wasn't. I don't want you to lose the opportunity to see your dad."

She stared at him for a second before responding. He took a step back in fear that she might explode again. She wrapped her arms around him as far as they could go.

"Thank you."

He patted her head like his dad did to him when he was younger," You're welcome."

They left the hospital and went back to the manor. Mori noticed something was off as they entered the front door. Gwen was not there to meet them. Where was she? He barely made it two feet before tripping over a shoe causing Haruhi to laugh.

"What the..."

There were five pairs of shoes just thrown in the middle of the hallway and none of them belonged to them. Annoyed, he made his way down the hallway and into the parlor. Sitting on the pristine couches and chairs, were none other than the host club. Gwen was bustling back and forth giving them snacks and drinks.

"I'm sorry for not greeting you at the door Mr. Morinozuka," Gwen apologized," your friends wanted snacks and it's in my job description to help them."

"It's alright Gwen," He turned to them," I wish they would have called first though."

Honey smiled with a mouthful of cake," It wouldn't have been a surprise if we had called."

"Why are you here then," Mori asked.

Kyoya answered," We just wanted to come over for a visit, maybe spend the night. We haven't did that in years."

Haruhi answered for Mori," That sounds like a lot of fun!"

Takashi didn't object. She needed to be around her friends. They called their parents and let them know that they'd be staying at Takashi's. Their bags were brought to them and they got set up in one of the spare bedrooms. A couple of hours passed with the guys and Haruhi just kind of sitting around, watching movies, and eating. No one brought up her father and she was glad of that. Haruhi had never had a sleepover. It was kind of strange that her first one was with all guys, but they made her feel safe.

Around 1 in the morning, the Hosts were all laying in a circle in their sleeping bags. The room was dark, but the TV was still on, only muted. Shadows flickered across everyone's faces, lighting their eyes and dulling their smiles.

Honey squeaked next to Mori," I'm glad that I get to spend time with you again Takashi. I miss you a lot, but I'm glad that you're taking care of Haruhi."

Haruhi smiled to herself. Honey was so cute.

Mori looked at Honey," I miss you too Honey. And I'm glad that you are able to live without me."

Everyone laid around in a daze, half asleep and half awake. It was around that time where no matter what you just feel good and care free."

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please review, follow, and favorite.


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